William Eble
November 2025
William
Eble
,
RN
Emergency Department
Lakeland Regional Health
Lakeland
,
FL
United States
When the clarity around the patient's medical status was not there, not knowing when the patient's end-of-life would be, nor the hospital's next steps, William became a reliable anchor for the patient and the hospital as a whole.
The Pastoral Services department received a 2nd phone call after 7am from the Main ED Clinical Services Coordinator to relieve multiple nurses who had decided to stay on after their 12-hour shifts to care for a 100-year-old patient who was deemed to be actively dying. The Pastoral Services Department at LRH provides 24/7 services, and I was the off-hours in-house Chaplain at the time of the call. Palliative Care/Hospice was not yet available to receive the patient. The required number of doctor authorizations and CMO orders could not be completed. The patient's closest and only known family member of record was a son in New Hampshire who told one doctor that he would be "on his way."
One nurse in particular had stood out. I arrived at the patient's room to find William providing remarkable care for a dying patient: holding their hand, stroking their head, and determined not let the patient die alone. Upon my arrival, William’s 12-hour shift had already ended. His dedication and unyielding compassion were inspiring to his team. I witnessed another nurse who felt inspired and joined in supporting the patient. A few other staff members helped them and ensured this team would not experience compassion fatigue. When the clarity around the patient's medical status was not there, not knowing when the patient's end-of-life would be, nor the hospital's next steps, William became a reliable anchor for the patient and the hospital as a whole. He continued to assist with coordinating and administering end-of-life medical efforts and to bridge the gap until an additional Chaplain could relieve me from my 24-hour weekend shift, once the Palliative Care Unit's prerequisites were met.
Eventually, the patient was transferred to Palliative Care. Within a couple of days, I was privileged to meet the patient's son, who had arrived from New Hampshire. The patient - miraculously - was still alive and had even spoken to her son! I was able to share with him William's valiant efforts, because it was William's care that led to the patient living long enough to see her son come down from New Hampshire, even though the patient was already actively dying some days earlier. As a Chaplain, I feel that I can share that I believe that God was in the patient's room that day and watching William's care, such care that it touched Heaven and allowed the patient to keep going long enough for their family to arrive days later! As Chaplains, we have the privilege of working with the entire LRH patient population, along with all nurses, doctors, and other interdisciplinary staff. I can't say that I've ever seen a more compassionate crew work in such unison, and William's care stood out among an already remarkable crew.
One nurse in particular had stood out. I arrived at the patient's room to find William providing remarkable care for a dying patient: holding their hand, stroking their head, and determined not let the patient die alone. Upon my arrival, William’s 12-hour shift had already ended. His dedication and unyielding compassion were inspiring to his team. I witnessed another nurse who felt inspired and joined in supporting the patient. A few other staff members helped them and ensured this team would not experience compassion fatigue. When the clarity around the patient's medical status was not there, not knowing when the patient's end-of-life would be, nor the hospital's next steps, William became a reliable anchor for the patient and the hospital as a whole. He continued to assist with coordinating and administering end-of-life medical efforts and to bridge the gap until an additional Chaplain could relieve me from my 24-hour weekend shift, once the Palliative Care Unit's prerequisites were met.
Eventually, the patient was transferred to Palliative Care. Within a couple of days, I was privileged to meet the patient's son, who had arrived from New Hampshire. The patient - miraculously - was still alive and had even spoken to her son! I was able to share with him William's valiant efforts, because it was William's care that led to the patient living long enough to see her son come down from New Hampshire, even though the patient was already actively dying some days earlier. As a Chaplain, I feel that I can share that I believe that God was in the patient's room that day and watching William's care, such care that it touched Heaven and allowed the patient to keep going long enough for their family to arrive days later! As Chaplains, we have the privilege of working with the entire LRH patient population, along with all nurses, doctors, and other interdisciplinary staff. I can't say that I've ever seen a more compassionate crew work in such unison, and William's care stood out among an already remarkable crew.