Dedicated nurse eases family burden during end-of-life-care
Lisa Estrada, BSN, RN, earned a DAISY Award for providing supportive care to a patient and their family during their final hours.
Caring for someone in their final moments is challenging, especially when their families are unprepared. Family members can often find it hard to care for themselves during these tough times, making the compassionate care of a dedicated nurse crucial.
When Lisa Estrada, BSN, RN, a staff nurse in the Intensive and Specialty Services Nursing Unit of the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), noticed a family worried about leaving their loved one so they could take care of themselves, she offered to sit with the patient, easing the burden on everyone involved.
Tender moments in medicine
Estrada noticed her patient becoming drowsier and more out of it during her hospital stay. When the patient’s family initially brought her to the hospital, they didn’t expect that they would have to make decisions for her end-of-life care.
Estrada understood how difficult it was for the patient and how overwhelming the situation was for the family. She recommended that they take a break to get some breakfast or coffee.
“They were quite hesitant to leave, and they didn’t want her to be alone,” Estrada recalls. “I offered to sit with her so that she was with someone and to help make the family feel a little bit better as they were leaving to go take care of themselves.”
While sitting with the patient, Estrada turned on and sang along to the radio and talked about the patient’s kids, pets, and other important parts of her life—things she had shared with her before becoming unresponsive. She also provided oral care, rubbed her arms and back, and held her hand.
While Estrada was caring for the patient, a palliative care physician came to check on her. Instead of interrupting their time together, the doctor stayed outside the room to watch their interaction. When the family came back about an hour later, Estrada stepped out of the room to give them space and talk to her manager.
Estrada’s manager told her that the physician said, “That’s the type of nursing care that we need more opportunities to provide to our patients.” He added that he wished he had been able to take a picture of the encounter to use it as an example of exceptional care. Estrada’s compassionate care ended up earning her a DAISY Award.
“She truly went above and beyond to make sure the patient was comfortable and felt safe and cared for during her final moments,” wrote her nominator. “Thank you, Lisa, for caring, for the patient and their family so well.”
Setting the standard for compassionate care
Estrada aims to provide this standard of care to all her patients in the MICU. Although she is proud that she had the opportunity to care for this patient the way she did, Estrada says she didn’t go beyond the care that she believes all nurses should provide.
When the job is busy, Estrada says it can be hard for nurses to see the bigger picture of both the patient and their family. She says it’s important to take the time to get to know them and hear about their life outside of the hospital.
“Remember that all patients have a history. They have a life outside of the hospital that we don’t see and deserve respect and compassion,” Estrada notes. “Don’t forget that their family members are our patients, too; they need to be provided for and make sure that they are caring for themselves as well.”
