Elizabeth Phair
May 2023
Elizabeth
Phair
,
BSN, RN
Intensive Care Unit
Hackensack Meridian Health - Riverview Medical Center
Red Bank
,
NJ
United States
When he was comfortable Lizzy was able to remove the machine and grant this family their final wish. She gave them peace and love and a sense of home.
Lizzy is a very special nurse, she takes the time to get to know her patients and their families. She Is able to make deep connections with ease and cares for each patient like her own family. When there is a patient who we cannot find a next of kin for, Lizzy is on it, she does fabulous detective work. When receiving an intubated patient with curious tattoos on their body, she is the nurse who says, “ I cannot wait to meet this person”. What an extraordinary attitude to have, that is her personality. She wants to connect and learn about each person. She has an innate need to find out what matters the most to her patient, and their families. From this, she is able to care for them the way they need, to help them all heal in some way meaningful to them.
Lizzy always goes above and beyond and has some outside the box plan thought up, that she asks permission for, which nobody can ever say no to, because it comes from her heart.
Last Friday, she came and sat in my office to tell me this story about a family we had been caring for most of their 18 day stay. The patient had Parkinson's’ and COPD, and his wife had been caring for him for years and truly dodded over him. She was his advocate and assured him that he always had the best of care. We were trying our best to get him optimized so that she could take him home, that was her goal just to get him home. Unfortunately, it had become apparent that we were not going to be able to get him home and Mrs. B was coming to this devastating realization. Lizzy was their nurse that day and sat with Mrs. B, she wanted to hear why she needed to get him home so badly and what she could do to help ease her pain since it did not look like this was going to happen. The couple had met on the water, her in a speed boat and him on a sailboat. She talked him into switching boats and got stuck on the water in his sailboat when there was no wind. The rest is almost 60 years of history. Mrs. B, had made a pact with her husband that he would die at home with her, overlooking their water view. to celebrate their 60th year of marriage.
Lizzy asked me to get them their waterview, and if it would be possible to extubate him on another unit. She would go with them as the critical care nurse and ensure the proper care. A nurse on 2N was happy to help and we arranged with the other disciplines our plan of care.
Mr. B was brought to a new room, the sun was shining over the beautiful water, and the view was breathtaking. He was surrounded by his wife, daughters, and friends. When he was comfortable Lizzy was able to remove the machine and grant this family their final wish. She gave them peace and love and a sense of home.
Lizzy is cut from a very special nursing cloth, you cannot teach this, you cannot learn this, this is just who you are, in every essence Lizzy embodies what it is to be a DAISY Nurse everyday.
Lizzy always goes above and beyond and has some outside the box plan thought up, that she asks permission for, which nobody can ever say no to, because it comes from her heart.
Last Friday, she came and sat in my office to tell me this story about a family we had been caring for most of their 18 day stay. The patient had Parkinson's’ and COPD, and his wife had been caring for him for years and truly dodded over him. She was his advocate and assured him that he always had the best of care. We were trying our best to get him optimized so that she could take him home, that was her goal just to get him home. Unfortunately, it had become apparent that we were not going to be able to get him home and Mrs. B was coming to this devastating realization. Lizzy was their nurse that day and sat with Mrs. B, she wanted to hear why she needed to get him home so badly and what she could do to help ease her pain since it did not look like this was going to happen. The couple had met on the water, her in a speed boat and him on a sailboat. She talked him into switching boats and got stuck on the water in his sailboat when there was no wind. The rest is almost 60 years of history. Mrs. B, had made a pact with her husband that he would die at home with her, overlooking their water view. to celebrate their 60th year of marriage.
Lizzy asked me to get them their waterview, and if it would be possible to extubate him on another unit. She would go with them as the critical care nurse and ensure the proper care. A nurse on 2N was happy to help and we arranged with the other disciplines our plan of care.
Mr. B was brought to a new room, the sun was shining over the beautiful water, and the view was breathtaking. He was surrounded by his wife, daughters, and friends. When he was comfortable Lizzy was able to remove the machine and grant this family their final wish. She gave them peace and love and a sense of home.
Lizzy is cut from a very special nursing cloth, you cannot teach this, you cannot learn this, this is just who you are, in every essence Lizzy embodies what it is to be a DAISY Nurse everyday.