Shawna Cornell
July 2014
Shawna
Cornell
,
RN
ICU
Mercy Memorial Hospital System
Monroe
,
MI
United States
I nominate Shawna Cornell not only for the outstanding care she provided but the compassion that she gave to the family during a very difficult situation in the ICU. We had a 42 year old female admitted with a severe intracranial bleed and brain stem herniation. The prognosis was terminal from the beginning. Shawna cared for the patient within the first 24 hours of being admitted and built a great foundation with the family to start to help them cope with the diagnosis. She also helped with explaining information to the daughter who was 15 years old and the son that was 7.
Shawna was committed to caring and providing consistency for the patient and family so she picked up an extra shift to be able to support them. Shawna helped the family come to terms with the diagnosis and started to work with them on organ donation. It was the patient's desire to be an organ donor so the family did honor her wishes. As this process started the husband and mother knew they had to tell her children that their mother had passed. Shawna sat with the family and went over different ways that they could try to explain it to the children. When they were ready to bring the children into visit they asked if Shawna could sit with them for support. As they started to attempt to explain to the children they were not able to tell speak and looked at Shawna for support. She immediately stepped in and gently said to the children "Your mom has passed away but she wanted to help people", she briefly touched on what it means to be an organ donor. She then drew from a personal loss in her life and told the children that every time they find a penny facing heads up that meant their mother was giving them hug from heaven. The family expressed how amazing Shawna was with the children and how grateful they were for all her support through the entire experience. Shawna cared for them until the patient was transferred.
As Nurses we have the privilege and opportunity to make a difference with each interaction. This is something that can't be measured. I truly believe that the care and compassion that Shawna provided is not just their patient/family experience, it's now part of their family story!
Shawna was committed to caring and providing consistency for the patient and family so she picked up an extra shift to be able to support them. Shawna helped the family come to terms with the diagnosis and started to work with them on organ donation. It was the patient's desire to be an organ donor so the family did honor her wishes. As this process started the husband and mother knew they had to tell her children that their mother had passed. Shawna sat with the family and went over different ways that they could try to explain it to the children. When they were ready to bring the children into visit they asked if Shawna could sit with them for support. As they started to attempt to explain to the children they were not able to tell speak and looked at Shawna for support. She immediately stepped in and gently said to the children "Your mom has passed away but she wanted to help people", she briefly touched on what it means to be an organ donor. She then drew from a personal loss in her life and told the children that every time they find a penny facing heads up that meant their mother was giving them hug from heaven. The family expressed how amazing Shawna was with the children and how grateful they were for all her support through the entire experience. Shawna cared for them until the patient was transferred.
As Nurses we have the privilege and opportunity to make a difference with each interaction. This is something that can't be measured. I truly believe that the care and compassion that Shawna provided is not just their patient/family experience, it's now part of their family story!