VeAna was caring for a patient in the Medical ICU. On a Thursday plans were made to terminally wean the patient from the ventilator in forty eight hours on Saturday. VeAna requested to change her scheduled days to work Saturday instead of Friday. She felt it would be wrong if during this end of life time there was not a familiar caregiver for the patient and family. She had been a primary caregiver and noted that during the weekend there was not a nurse scheduled who had taken care of this patient.

Schedules and time off are such an important part of our staff's lives and I was just amazed that VeAna was willing to do that for a patient and family. The terminal wean ended up being rescheduled so VeAna did not have to change her schedule after all.

Several days after this patient passed away I received a very lovely note from the family to VeAna on the back of a Frisch's paper placemat describing VeAna's compassion and caring attitude. It made a difference in their lives.