Caring for a pediatric end-of-life patient involves holistic, family-centered care, focusing on expert symptom management, tailored communication, and maintaining normalcy in daily routine, all while providing psychosocial/spiritual support. Moreover, caring for the patient recently diagnosed with a rare, aggressive, debilitating brain tumor, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), not only requires expert oncology care but also compassionate care that prioritizes quality of life and function while minimizing suffering.

Kaitlyn has been instrumental in providing holistic support to the patient and family while advocating for the best palliative care practices as this disease progression leads to end-of-life focused care. Despite the conflict with patient care interventions between the mother and primary care team, Kaitlyn continued to support her patient so that her dignity could be honored at EOL. When faced with difficult ethical conundrums, Kaitlyn orchestrated a meeting to collaborate with all members of the healthcare team to discuss goals of care, which were not clear at this time. Kaitlyn felt it was time to seek guidance from the Ethical Committee to advocate for improved communication with the mother on behalf of the patient's rights to receive comfort care treatment to help alleviate symptoms related to her cancer.

In the meantime, Kaitlyn continued offering a quiet presence by providing comfort measures to her patient while focusing on the patient's quality of life and dignity during EOL. End-of-life is a sacred time, and it takes a deep sense of commitment and compassion to nurse the dying. To make others' physical and mental well-being her priority is a different kind of devotion. Kaitlyn encompasses all these attributes and more. So, with this, I feel Kaitlyn is an extraordinary nurse.