My father-in-law was transferred from the Emergency Room at Chippenham to the Emergency Room at VCU for chronic subdural hematomas that got worse over time. His wife of nearly 55 years suddenly passed away this year. My father-in-law committed his life to caring for his wife and his three children. His wife was a post-polio patient and had pulmonary fibrosis. I share this because we discovered him and his wife lying in bed while holding hands. And in that moment, he hadn’t realized that she had passed away moments before.

As we navigated day to day after the funeral of the family matriarch, we noticed increasing confusion and memory issues with my father-in-law. He had a hematoma to his left eye near the forehead, as large as a goose egg. He was rushed to the ER and had no memory of his wife passing until day 4 of his admission. After a trauma workup, we discovered that the head bleeds were significantly worse and required a transfer to the VCU Emergency Room. From the ER to the Neurological Unit, and being awake for more than 30 hours, my husband and I went home to rest. We returned to the neuro ICU that evening and met Brigid, the night shift nurse.

I was anxious to know that the day shift passed onto the night shift, and without realizing it, I interrupted the report to ensure everyone knew of his needs and that his confusion increased at nighttime. Both the day shift nurse, S, and the night shift nurse, Brigid, smiled and listened patiently and kindly. Brigid empathized with us, saying, “We’ve got him, and we will make sure he is safe and well cared for.” I instantly felt an enormous sense of relief, and most importantly, I believed her. Brigid was genuine in all her words.

Every person we met who cared for my father-in-law, beginning with S on the day shift to Brigid on the night shift, has met the textbook definition of what it means to be an outstanding nurse, essentially one who rises above all the rest. I can only imagine the challenges that come with caring for patients who have experienced either a head injury or brain surgery. Everyone we have encountered during his stay has been genuinely happy to be there. I share so much background information just to highlight why Brigid is a shining star, both before and after surgery.

The night of his surgery, my husband and I were sitting at the bedside, quietly reassuring him he was doing better. At this point in the evening, the anesthesia had worn off, and he was suffering from a significant headache. Brigid came in to greet my father-in-law and reminded him they had met the night before and that she would be back with him tonight. He asked if she could come back in an hour or two; Brigid assured him that she would be coming in 100 times or more that night, so he wouldn't need anything because she would have it already provided.

At this time, the sun was setting outside his room. He couldn’t see it from his position in the room. Unknowingly to Brigid, we had previously had that conversation about the sunset. She said to him, “Would you like to see the sunset? It is breathtaking tonight; you cannot miss this!” Without waiting for a response, Brigid unlocked the wheels on his bed and positioned him to face the window. She leaned over and quietly admired the beautiful colors in the sky, highlighting the cotton candy pinks and deep purples. He looked at Brigid and asked, "Where is my wife?" Brigid held his hand and said to my father-in-law, “She has passed on and went to heaven.” She told him, “I am right here with you and will be here all night.” She held his hand and gently stroked his arm. Brigid stood there with him for about 15 minutes, gently talking and reassuring him. Her actions brought tears to my eyes. In the chaos of her world, she felt it was important enough to take a pause and some time to ensure he had a chance to watch the sunset that evening.

I respect and admire Brigid’s technical expertise. Her ability to manage multiple drips and ensure her patients are safe and well cared for, all while maintaining their stability, is a skill that not all can accomplish. All the nurses and team members are amazing! Thank you, Brigid and the entire Neuro ICU team!