October 2024
Shae
Fiorentino
,
NP, ACNPC-AG, AGPCNP-BC, Critical Care
ICU
Melrose Wakefield Hospital
Melrose
,
MA
United States
Shae gave us the peace we desperately needed.
Our mother was admitted to the hospital for the 3rd and final time that weekend. She came in because she was aspirating due to the dislocation of her G-Tube. The nurses took such great care of her. At every junction, they were letting us know what was happening and what would need to happen if her heart rate and blood pressure did not regulate. Before I left her that day, one of the nurses mentioned that we may need to intubate her because her body needed rest to recover. The team explained the pros and cons of intubation so that we were fully aware of how serious our mom’s condition was. As a family we agreed to do the best for her. I knew that our mother was in good hands. Unfortunately, we received a call from Shae that they were doing everything for our mom, but it was not working. We were told that she had an added medical concern of a lung embolism that they could not treat because of her condition. We made the tough decision to let our mother stop suffering and proceed with comfort care. Shae walked us through the whole process and gave us time and space to say our goodbyes. My sisters and I were witnesses to our mom taking her final breath as she left this earth. I was allowed to stay with my mom until the team took her to the morgue. It was a tremendous gift to our family to do this for our mom, who loved us fiercely. The nurses understood our needs and made sure that we did not feel rushed to leave the hospital room. There was one time I had to go to the bathroom before our mom died, and they offered to hold the phone for me until I returned. Shae even lent me her charger so that my battery was fully charged. Every few minutes, one of the team members would check on me and offer food and water. These actions made such a difference in a situation where emotions were high. Shae gave us the peace we desperately needed. I appreciate and will always think of how you treated our wonderful mother.