I was working with Lenny one very busy day. We had a full ER with every bed taken and a full waiting room. Lenny had three patients, all critical. One was a septic pneumonia patient, another was a patient with multiple PEs and DVTs and then an elderly women with a severe stroke who had a DNR and was dying. The patient's family told Lenny that it was their wish and the patient's wish for her not to die in the hospital. This all took place on a Sunday morning.

Lenny and I discussed the situation with the doctor. The doctor suggested that we contact the on-call case manager and attempt to grant the patient her final wishes and to try and arrange hospice realizing how difficult that might be given the time and day of the week. Also, the patient was deteriorating quickly. Lenny decided to take matters into his own hands and called the patient's assisted living facility and spoke with a supervisor explaining the situation. Lenny was able to arrange for the patient to go back to her home at the assisted living facility so she could die in peace like she had wanted.

I believe Lenny showed true spirituality and compassion for this patient and her family. Lenny did all of this while helping two other very sick patients, giving antibiotics and heparin and all the while staying calm and compassionate for this dying woman. There is so much more to the story, and I hope that I am telling it well.

Lenny is an excellent nurse who consistently goes above and beyond to help patients.