Patient GF was a patient 11 years post a Stem Cell Transplant who was admitted suddenly to the hospital for complications from the chronic graft versus host disease that he had been battling for many years.

Just a few weeks prior to admission, GF married his girlfriend of 4 years, and they were preparing for their long-awaited honeymoon.

This patient had been a very active participant in his own care through-out the years post transplant and was very independent and particular about his daily routine and how he takes his medication, etc.

Being admitted to the hospital at what he viewed as one of the most inconvenient times of his life made him feel completely out of control and created an high level of anxiety for him.

Lourine recognized this in the patient and quickly established a strong rapport with him so that she could develop a trusting relationship. She helped determine the most important aspects of his care that he wanted to try to keep the same and identified areas in which the patient and the nursing staff could collaborate to provide the best care. She worked diligently to ensure that all of this information was clearly communicated to all involved in his care.

Lourine helped to establish a core team of nurses to provide continuity of care for the patient. This helped the nursing staff to become familiar with the patient’s routine of care and special needs as well as the patient establish a sense of trust and comfort with his care team.

The patient suffered many vertebral fractures from severe osteoporosis and had GVHD of the lungs that compromised his respiratory ability drastically. These factors, combined with family dynamics and his complicated medication regimen presented a very complex care situation that became exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally. When many nurses asked for a “break” from caring for the patient, Lourine stuck with the plan until the end.