Extending care beyond the bedside: Compassionate nurse helps patient experience one last sunset with family
When a long-term patient was nearing the end of their life, CVICU nurse Libby Scott helped create a memory for their family that will last a lifetime.
On a warm spring evening, Libby Scott, BSN, RN, stood on the Rooftop Terrace at the university campus, watching her patient and family take in the orange glow of the setting sun. The quiet moment marked the culmination of a long and emotional care journey.
As a nurse in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU), Scott often cares for patients facing long recoveries. “A lot of patients with terrible complications typically spend a month or more with us,” she notes.
This particular patient’s story, however, was different. Scott formed a close bond with the patient and their spouse, who leaned on her for comfort and strength as the patient’s condition worsened. Days passed, and the family came to terms with the fact that there were few options left for the patient’s treatment.
When the time came for a difficult “goals-of-care” discussion, the spouse asked Scott to join. After two days of heartfelt conversations, the family made the decision to transition to comfort care. The close-knit family gathered at the hospital, knowing the end was likely near. During their visits, they would often take breaks and go up to the Rooftop Terrace.
“I would watch my patient’s face fall every time their kids and grandkids would head up to the roof,” says Scott. “So, when one of them mentioned how they wished this family member could go with them, I got an idea.”
Scott asked the patient if they wanted to visit the Rooftop Terrace, and they immediately nodded a yes.
She quickly began to prepare their wheelchair with several blankets to keep them warm and comfortable. Because the patient was so frail, Scott was concerned they might get cold, so she wrapped them up “like a little burrito” and prepared some pain medication in case they became uncomfortable.
With that, the whole crew headed upstairs. It was the first time the patient had left their hospital room in a month.
“It was just the sweetest thing I’ve ever witnessed,” recalls Scott. “They were so happy this family member was up there with them, having family time, laughing, and talking, and just excited to spend a few more minutes together. Then there was a beautiful sunset and the patient just looked so content.”
After watching the sunset, Scott escorted the patient and family members back downstairs. She tucked the patient into bed and went on to care for other patients. Before her shift ended, though, she went back to say goodbye to the family, the patient’s spouse, and the patient just in case. That journey to see the sunset with family would turn out to be one of the last things the patient saw, as they passed away later that evening.
Scott was recognized with a DAISY Award for her kind and caring gesture. She was nominated by colleagues who noted how “she went above and beyond to help this patient and their family share one last special moment.”
That sunset created a lovely memory for Scott, too. She says the day after the patient passed, the family came back to give her a card they had made. The cover of the card was of the sunset they had all witnessed together the night before.
“There are certain patients and family members that I carry in my heart for a good long time,” says Scott. “And this is certainly one of them.”
