My sister-in-law, P, was a patient for four days. The staff was wonderful- they are competent, caring, and explain the care they provide. One nurse, however, was extraordinary: Jimmy.

Our family knew we would receive the results of the brain MRI during morning rounds. Jimmy prepped us for “not the news you want to hear” by describing his findings during his initial assessment. It’s not that we hadn’t heard that information over the previous few days, but Jimmy confirmed there was no positive change. He reviewed what he knew about our complex family situation, including P’s two adopted daughters, one of whom has significant cognitive and emotional impairments. While she is her own guardian, she has a limited understanding of routine medical care, much less the care provided in the ICU. Jimmy’s statement to us was, “Let me help you work with her today.” He went on to describe his own family situation- a sibling with similar issues- and said that while he was P’s nurse, he was there to care for all of us.

He spent most of the day in her room with us- through rounds, an update from the neuro team, our family meeting as we decided to move to comfort care, meeting with the hospice team, and finally, P’s passing soon after moving to comfort care. Jimmy provided expert nursing care with all the lines and drips but also provided gently for P’s basic physical needs- getting the paste from the EEG leads out of her hair, making certain she was positioned comfortably, and was wearing a clean gown. All of this might be considered care at an expected level. Jimmy not only completed all these nursing tasks, but he also gently led us through difficult conversations and stayed at P’s daughter’s side through it all. He helped her to remain calm (a huge undertaking), made certain she understood the medical jargon, and ensured she had the opportunity to ask questions. He must have prepped the medical team- they took time to re-explain P’s condition and the decisions we would need to make.

Our family is extremely grateful to Jimmy for his expert nursing care and compassionate support during a trying time in our lives.