I recently experienced my first patient death. Not only was I unfamiliar with post-mortem/bereavement protocols, but I was also emotionally/mentally frazzled. Additionally, this case was particularly complicated due to the patient's religion. The family was Jewish and the patient passed away on a Friday afternoon, mere hours before Shabbat. Unfortunately, despite religious tradition, it was impossible to bury the patient before sundown. Furthermore, the parents were unable to grieve at the bedside because they had to return to home (to Brooklyn) before Shabbat. Their final request, before they departed, was to have a Jewish family friend walk with the RN en route to the morgue to recite a final prayer for the child. The medical team approved, and I thought it was a fine idea. Little did I know that this was not actually permitted by Security.
When the time came to transport the body, the security officers informed me that it would be impossible to fulfill the family's wishes since the walk to the morgue was through areas of restricted access. I didn't think there was anything else I could do, so I simply gave in/gave up. Then, Amy Kauffman, who had already been helping me with post-mortem tasks, stepped in to save the day. She spoke up for me, she came up with several alternative ideas, she requested that the security officer's supervisor be involved, and ultimately she devised an ingenious plan that would accommodate all parties. She would personally walk the family friend through the hospital, while security, myself, and an SNA transported the body through restricted zones, and we would all meet in a non-restricted area next to the morgue to allow for a final farewell prayer.
The plan worked beautifully. I was (and am) so impressed with Amy's creativity, her willingness to speak up, her ability to communicate, and her enormous heart. She showed genuine compassion and fought to have a family's personal/religious requests fulfilled. And it wasn't even her patient! I have been a nurse for a little under 2 years now. There is obviously still so much for me to learn, and I often struggle with confidence and communication. Amy's help, her actions, and her words taught me priceless lessons that day. She is the kind of nurse I aspire to be- she is truly an example of excellence and I feel honored to work beside her. Thank you, Amy. I can't tell you how much you've inspired me. And despite the sadness surrounding this experience, when I look back on this day, I will always have a positive memory because of you.