Over the weekend we had a patient in ICU who was dying and the family, understandably, was having a hard time coping with the situation. At some point in the shift on Saturday, they asked Cristi Aljets to see if we can arrange for an incarcerated relative to be released temporarily so he can say good-bye to the patient. Cristi did not agree with the family-she felt that social isolation was part of one’s punishment when a person goes to prison, yet in spite of her personal feelings, she willingly jumped through the maze of phone calls necessary to communicate the family’s request to the prison system. She also discussed the matter with the social worker, all very time consuming tasks on an already busy shift.
It’s easy to go above and beyond when caring for a suffering patient, but it takes a special person to overcome her personal opinion and biases in order to provide excellent, compassionate care.