Recently there was a patient who came into the ED who asked for Tonya Urban-remembering her for the care provided to her during her long ICU stay with Covid. Tonya met with the patient and began following her as a palliative patient.
Tonya was in constant contact with the patient and patients’ family providing support and education, but most importantly listening. Tonya spent hours at the patient’s bedside listening to her concerns as well as her family’s’. Tonya advocated for her and made sure the physicians were aware of the goals of care that the patient had verbalized.
One ICU nurse wrote in a Halo award that “Tonya was a compassionate and loving provider of care. She gives the safest space for families when making the hardest decisions.” At the end, Tonya was there to pray and provide emotional support to the patient and family as they made decisions.
Tonya was a gift to us after she transitioned from the ICU to palliative care-She is not only kind and empathetic, but as said earlier a safe space for patients and all families to make those difficult decisions.