July 2023
Jolinda
Mierny
,
RN
Cardiac Progressive Care
Wesley Healthcare
Wichita
,
KS
United States
Before the family got back, Jolinda sat with the patient and held her hand so she wouldn’t pass alone.
Jolinda had a patient whose condition had declined the previous night and was now minimally responsive. She dedicated a large portion of her day to sitting with the family and listening to their concerns and thoughts of having to put their mother on hospice. Jolinda was in there with the doctors during the hard conversation. The family decided to wait till the next day to put their mother on hospice which would be a Sunday. A few hours went by and the family left to get dinner, planning to come back and spend their last night with their mother before the hospice transition. Shortly after they left, their mother’s heart rate dropped and Jolinda and I ran down to assess her. Jolinda’s shift was over and she had already given report to another nurse but Jolinda called the daughter and told her about the rapid change. Before the family got back, Jolinda sat with the patient and held her hand so she wouldn’t pass alone. The family arrived back to the unit before their mother passed and Jolinda offered to hold one of the daughter’s babies so she could spend her time with her mother during her last minutes. Jolinda ended up staying 4 hours after her shift to be there for the family and she continued watching the baby during that time. Jolinda truly treated this family and patient as if they were her own family.