I remember meeting Zach Beamer as a PCT on 5E back in 2016. I was a new floor RN and I immediately had respect for Zach while observing his care for patients and drive to complete nursing school to become an RN. I knew he was going to be an amazing nurse and have always said, if needed, I would want Zach to care for my loved one.
My father, who was also my best friend, suffered an intracranial hemorrhage in 2019. He was brought to CHA and received excellent care from the ER and ICU. The time came to make the hard decision to put him on hospice care (which I believe in wholeheartedly) and transfer him to, at that time, my home floor 5E to be cared for by my extended family, my coworkers.
Zach cared for my father for the last two days of his life. As 5E nurses, we round on patients hourly. Zach was in our room every 30 minutes checking the status of my father, administering both scheduled and PRN meds and going out of his way to make sure that not only my father was comfortable during his last journey but making sure my family was being comforted and their needs during this hard time were being met. My father was having tremors, which were expected due to his diagnosis and he went out of his way to make sure this new onset of symptoms was addressed and resolved with hospice. He assisted with turns and oral care. He also made sure my large family had plenty of seating and comfort carts so that we could stay in the room as much as we needed to spend time with my father.
I will always remember holding my dad's hand and counting his respirations as they became less and less and feeling his pulse diminish. After 3 minutes of no respirations, I knew it was time to turn on that call light and confirm the end of my father's journey.
Zach was in that room within minutes. As a co-worker hugged me, Zach performed confirmation with compassion and dignity. He also hugged me while we got the final confirmation.
Zach assisted in the post-care and when my husband and I entered the room to say our final goodbyes, my father looked like the handsome man I have always remembered him to be.
My father was being taken to be cremated, so this was the last moment I was going to have with him and to visually see the person that had loved me and was my best friend. It was an important moment and Zach made sure that it was special.
Zach is an Extraordinary Nurse.
I knew he was going to be years before I knew he would be taking care of one of my loved ones at the end of their life.
Because of Zach, my father had what we call in hospice a "good death" and it makes me think of the quote from Isaac Asimov I read while training to be a hospice RN that states: "Life is pleasant, death is peaceful, it's the transition that is troublesome."
My father had a long, fulfilling and pleasant life. Because of Zach, and the care he provided, his death was, in fact, peaceful and I believe the transition for him was not in any way troublesome. He was not only comforted and surrounded by his family, whom he loved very much but he was also cared for by nurses who treated him as if he was family as well.
The love, support, and amazing care he was provided shows the beautiful craft of nursing and I will always be grateful.