SNICU nurse goes above and beyond to create lasting memories for patient’s family
Angie Gaul, BSN, RN, helped keep a patient’s memory alive after the family faced an end-of-life decision.
In the fast-paced, high-stakes environment of the Surgical and Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit (SNICU), Angie Gaul, BSN, RN, works to make a difference for patients and their families each shift. That commitment was especially evident when she cared for a patient injured in a car accident who was brought to the university campus for urgent treatment. In those initial moments, she helped reduce the family’s anxiety by calmly explaining the patient’s condition and answering their questions, leaving them feeling informed and supported.
A few days passed before Gaul returned to caring for the patient on her next shift. It began routinely — until it didn’t. While en route for a scan, the patient's heart stopped. Gaul and another colleague immediately started CPR, which resuscitated the patient. When the family visited the next day, she made sure she explained to them what had happened.
“When she came in, we could breathe a sigh of relief knowing our family member would have the highest level of care,” noted the patient’s family in a letter.
Creating a lifelong impact
The family firmly believes that Gaul’s quick actions gave them additional time with their loved one. They also appreciated her calm presence, knowing that they may soon be facing a tough decision on next steps. As days passed, care teams discussed the long and uncertain road to recovery if the patient remained on life support. In conversations with Gaul, the family expressed their concerns that the patient would not want this. And after a difficult family discussion, they ultimately decided to take the patient off life support.
Gaul gently guided the family through the emotional process with compassion and grace and then turned her focus to the patient, making sure they were clean, comfortable, and cared for. But she didn’t stop there; she helped the family create lasting keepsakes — handprints, fingerprints, and even a heartbeat rhythm strip — so they could carry a piece of their loved one forward. When the time came for the patient to move to the Palliative Care Unit, Gaul’s presence offered quiet strength for the family.
“Not knowing what that end was going to look like, we had Angie ‘hold our hands’ through it,” they wrote.
“Staying calm yourself helps them stay calm,” Gaul explains. “You’re helping families realize they are not the ones making these hard decisions. It's what their loved one has already told them that they want, and they're simply honoring their wishes.”
Rooted in empathy
Gaul was honored with a DAISY Award for her responsive and compassionate care.
“Angie went above and beyond what we could have ever imagined. She honored our family member in their final hours,” the family wrote in their nomination letter. “To say Angie left a lasting impact on our family is an understatement.”
Gaul’s approach to nursing is rooted in empathy and a simple philosophy: Treat every patient as if they were her own family.
“After losing family members of my own over the years, treating every patient as if they're my family member is the only way I know how to approach it,” says Gaul. “I always think, ‘How would I want them to be treated in this situation?’ and it helps guide me.”
For Gaul, acts of kindness while caring for patients and their families are second nature.
“It’s nice knowing how much of an impact you can make on someone’s life. Even if you don’t think you’re making a big difference, everything you do matters.”
