A patient had been in the hospital for months, battling serious illness after complications from an outpatient ERCP, and the family made the heart-wrenching decision to withdraw care. In this emotionally charged and difficult time, Alexa Oerter not only assisted the primary nurse by providing expert clinical care but also demonstrated an incredible sensitivity to the family's grief, all while still on orientation and providing exceptional care for her own patient assignment.
Drawing on her experience serving on a palliative care committee in her previous ICU, Alexa took the initiative to create a deeply meaningful keepsake for the family. She printed EKG strips from the patients' heartbeats and used them to craft "heartbeat in a bottle" mementos for the patient's loved ones. Alexa added a sticker that said, "My heart is always with you," offering a tangible source of comfort in their time of sorrow.