Irene demonstrated incredible compassion towards our Oncology nursing team the other night when a beloved patient of ours passed away in her care in the PICU. This patient had lived in our unit for 16 months, and we were devastated to learn we would not be able to care for her at the end of her life, which we have been preparing for over the last year and a half.

Irene recognized our strong relationships with this patient and took the time to come down to Oncology to debrief with our nurses there, and inform us of the peacefulness of her passing, and assure us of her comfort. She then was so kind and generous enough to offer us the opportunity to provide her post-mortem care, pick out music we knew she would have liked, and hold her hands and say goodbye one last time. Many nurses were able to participate as a result of Irene's kindness and grace in acknowledging the team effort behind this young woman's care.

In our follow-up debriefs, many nurses spoke about how touched they were by Irene's thoughtfulness. We were also grateful to know that our patient was in such loving hands as she passed. We have a special bond with our PICU colleagues through the patients we care for, and Irene's actions strengthened those relationships even more. We are so grateful to Irene and the PICU staff who allowed us (and this patient) such beautiful closure.