Vicky is a great nurse. I have never, in my 15-year career as a nurse, witnessed someone take care of a patient and her family with so much compassion, grace, skill, and respect. It's taken me this long to write this because every time I would think about this or re-live it, tears would come to my eyes. I am having a hard time stifling them as I write this even now.
We had a patient come in as an outpatient for biliary drain placement. She was admitted and this was not an easy procedure and the patient was very sick. We were all surprised she wasn't already admitted. She had multiple liver hemangiomas and we needed to get her bilirubin down so she could start chemo. We were all fearful that she would succumb to her cancer in the end, but were hopeful as she was a very sweet and kind person. Her husband, daughter, and granddaughter were present pre- and post-procedure.
Two days later, we got a call that a new drain needed to be placed and her bilirubin was rising instead of falling. As I received report from the floor nurse, my heart was sinking as I was slowly realizing how sick she was and that she would most likely not survive much longer. Upon her arrival, I could tell she had taken a turn for the worse. Her case was very long and very involved. I had to leave for an appointment and Vicky came to relieve me. She was telling me how sore she was from getting up at 4:30 that morning and working out. I jokingly called her a wimp and gave her report. I told her to call me if she needed me to come back as I was on call that evening. She assured me she would be fine.
The procedure was finally complete about an hour after I left. The patient took a turn for the worse at the end of the procedure requiring a NG tube and a 3-liter bolus and she was to be transferred to ICU. Vicky took care of the patient with grace and skill, implementing interventions as needed in a timely manner and delegating to our other nurse and the IR Techs who were there helping. She ended up calling me back at approximately 6:00 that evening, while they were waiting for an ICU bed. Instead of catching up her charting, instead of leaving it for me, instead of taking break from her non-stop day starting at 4:30AM, she began to care for the patient's family. She was very kind and gentle with them, but honest. She gracefully explained to her husband and her daughter that their wife and mother may not make it out of the ICU.
Vicky really encouraged them to allow the patient's granddaughter in to see her. She told them the ultimate decision was theirs, but this could be the last time she ever got to see or speak with her grandma as they would not allow children in the ICU. Vicky cleaned the patient up to be as presentable as possible, both out of respect to the patient and concern for the granddaughter. They brought her granddaughter back so she could see and talk to her grandma as they waited for a bed. The patient was stable and Vicky explained they were waiting for an ICU bed, but they could take as much time as they needed. She showed so much compassion towards the patient and her granddaughter and was a support for the patient's husband and daughter. She stayed over 2 hours past her shift, even after I had arrived to relieve her. The patient died three days later. I am still amazed how she could be a great nurse for the patient, a support person for her husband and daughter and a fierce advocate for a 12-year-old girl all at the same time.
I want to paint the true picture of how awesome Vicky is. Since this day, I feel privileged and somewhat out of my league to work alongside her. If I am ever a patient and if I can't have Vicky as my nurse, I'd like someone with a quarter of her compassion and knowledge, even that would be more than enough.