LaDonna Fry
July 2015
LaDonna
Fry
,
RN, CCRN
ICU
Riverside Walter Reed Hospital
Gloucester
,
VA
United States

 

 

 

LaDonna Fry cared for a patient that expressed concerns with her about how she feels like she may be getting dementia because she can't remember small little things intermittently. This conversation then spiraled into the patient crying and opening up while sharing some very personal family stressors and regrets from her past and present. The patient had told her that one of her parents had passed away this past February and when she went to the funeral she and her estranged sister of 25 years never even talked. The patient was very open to LaDonna and forthcoming with this information. LaDonna took the time to emphatically listen and converse. As a result of this conversation, the patient worked up the courage and called her sister from the hospital that night and they talked...for the first time in 25 years! When LaDonna arrived to work the following day, the patient called her into the room and told her "I just wanted to tell you that because of our conversation yesterday I called my sister last night". She told her how much better that made her feel. She was sincerely grateful to LaDonna for treating her with such compassion and for taking the time to genuinely talk to her as a friend and help her to work through some of her past hurt feelings. The most heartwarming and sincere moment of this experience was seeing LaDonna's reaction and true gratitude that the patient found their conversation inspiring enough to pick up the phone and call her sister! This made such an impact not only to the patient but LaDonna as well, so much that, she shared her interaction when the nursing supervisor rounded in the unit and said "let me tell you something really neat". This is a clear example of what it means to get back to the basics of nursing and get to know our patients holistically. This showed the patient compassion for her current emotional state and it made a lasting impact. This patient was discharged home the following day and I'm pretty sure she will never forget LaDonna's influence that guided the reconciliation of her relationship with her sister.