Rebecca Tamayo
February 2024
Rebecca
Tamayo
,
RN, BSN
Coronary Care Unit
High Point Medical Center
High Point
,
NC
United States

 

 

 

The Patient was able to be baptized in accordance with his faith around 1630, became unresponsive by 1730, and passed peacefully around 2030. The Spiritual Care team could not have supported the Patient in this way if Rebecca had not also been on board and supportive of the efforts!
Rebecca learned early in her shift that her Patient wanted to be baptized - full immersion - by a minister of his faith group. Rebecca assessed the Patient's physical needs and knew this would be quite a feat. He was DNR/L and on the highest Opti-flow settings, though still not reaching his oxygen goals. Rebecca and the team knew his time was limited and began asking questions about how to best care for and honor his request. Rebecca advocated for her Patient's needs with the medical team and collaborated with the Spiritual Care Department to make it happen. She ensured the Patient was aware of the risks, supported his wishes, communicated with teammates across disciplines, and offered compassionate care to him and his family. The team was able to set up an inflatable pool in an adjacent CCU room and used the ceiling lift to move him into the pool. Respiratory quickly removed his oxygen so his minister could baptize him, then immediately placed the oxygen back on him, and then lifted him back into his bed. Rebecca was the team leader for all those transitions and ensured that the Patient was safe in the midst of it all. The Patient was able to be baptized in accordance with his faith around 1630, became unresponsive by 1730, and passed peacefully around 2030. The Spiritual Care team could not have supported the Patient in this way if Rebecca had not also been on board and supportive of the efforts! Rebecca advocated for her Patient, thought innovatively, worked as a team, and exhibited great leadership skills.