Bonnie Connor
January 2024
Bonnie
Connor
,
BSN, RN
CVU/ICU
WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital
Lebanon
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

I think her husband could see the care from Bonnie and the staff and that the conversations ultimately helped him emotionally process his wife's condition.
There was a patient admitted in the CVU/ICU who had been there for over a month. Unfortunately, the patient had been intubated for a majority of that time and decompensated to a point that options were very limited, and the patient had a poor prognosis. The husband was in to visit the patient every day and very devoted to his wife of 50+ years. The week before the patient unfortunately passed, the husband was having a very tough time and expressed frustration with the doctors and was showing signs of grief. Bonnie, the nurse manager, took the time to have the patient come into her office and allowed him to express his concerns about her care and share his and his wife's story and his feelings about the situation. Bonnie reached out to the patient experience liaison to sit with the husband and to allow him time to express his frustrations and share his feelings again. The husband was very appreciative that he was allowed time to express himself and his concerns. In the meantime, Bonnie reached out to the primary physicians to discuss the husband's concerns and what options they could explore for this patient, even to the extent of trying to find accepting hospitals or other physicians/surgeons to give a second opinion on her outcome. Bonnie also checked in with the husband every day after to ensure that he was comfortable with the care provided and if there was anything else he needed. Ultimately, there were no additional interventions that could be provided, and the patient decompensated several days later. The husband decided to cease interventions. He remained very appreciative of all the nursing staff and the support provided. Bonnie demonstrated compassion for the patient's family members and perseverance to show that we truly were doing everything we could for the patient's wife. I think her husband could see the care from Bonnie and the staff and that the conversations ultimately helped him emotionally process his wife's condition. Sometimes, the patients and families just need to see that nurses and doctors do truly care about them and their families. Bonnie was a great example of someone who took the time to provide compassionate care and to prove that we really are and will always be there in any way we can in healthcare.