Courtney Dunn was caring for a child with Spanish speaking parents. This child was well known to the PICU staff. The child was very ill during the current admission and was intubated. The prognosis for this patient’s survival was slim. Courtney was able to start a dialogue with the family. She took advantage of the resources available to her at the time. She utilized the Language Line, which provide an interpreter via the telephone to aid in communication with family. She also utilized a staff physician, Dr. Purohit, to ensure the patient’s family was aware of the severity of the circumstances. Later that night, when the child passed away, Courtney was the nurse providing care for the patient. She was able to provide exceptional care both to the patient and family. This was because of her efforts to establish rapport and ensure good communication during the child’s admission. Courtney’s example of caring did not stop at the bedside or the patient’s death. It is customary for the PICU staff to send bereavement cards with signatures from the staff to the families of those who have lost children in the PICU. The PICU does not currently have Spanish bereavement cards. To ensure that the family was aware of the sympathy expressed by the PICU staff, Courtney spent the time to research online Spanish translations. She was able to write a message to the family in Spanish.Courtney modeled the UMHC Standards and Values by providing quality nursing care. She also showed integrity by ensuring good communication with this family through initiating teamwork across multiple disciplines to aid in communication. She exemplified innovation in her desire to provide a Spanish speaking family bereavement care, and encouraged diversity in her support as well. Courtney modeled what nursing at UMHC is supposed to look like and the characteristics the Daisy Awards desire to showcase by providing exceptional quality care, providing a caring and trusting environment for the family, and going above and beyond the norm.
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