April 2023
Monica
Munyon
,
RN
Emergency Department
HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital
Sanford
,
FL
United States
Monica returned upstairs with a wheelchair and brought the husband to his wife of 50 years. The two spent a few precious hours together holding hands while comforting each other.
A 76 year old female arrived to the ED during Hurricane Ian. Her husband was an inpatient on the second floor. She was alone and was quite scared of her condition. She had new onset of chest pain and shortness of breath. Her husband was notified of his wife being in the emergency department. He became extremely anxious and concerned for his wife. The husband's nurse called down to the ED asking if his wife's nurse could speak to him. With permission from the patient, Monica went upstairs to speak to the husband. Although the ED was extremely busy, Monica knew she could alleviate some of his suffering. She sat with him, explaining his wife's newly diagnosed lung tumor and the next steps in her care. The husband was very upset and crying. Monica had to do more. She called down to the ED and asked the charge nurse to bring a phone to his wife. The couple spoke with one another, crying together and voicing how scared they were. The added stress of the hurricane made matters unbearable. Monica did not stop there. She was determined to bring them together. Monica asked the husband's nurse if she could bring him downstairs to sit with his wife. He needed to be medicated first so Monica returned to the ED to let his wife know she would be bringing her husband down soon. Monica returned upstairs with a wheelchair and brought the husband to his wife of 50 years. The two spent a few precious hours together holding hands while comforting each other. Monica called dietary for meal trays and they ate lunch together. Monica, still not satisfied, reached out to me to find a better solution for this lifelong couple. The wife was more critical than her husband and was admitted to PCU. The strength of the entire Lake Monroe team worked together and obtained a room for the couple to weather the storm together. Monica not only made a deep emotional connection with the couple, her empathy and humanism is the very definition of compassionate connected care.