Suzanne McDonald cared for a 26 year veteran in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) who was diagnosed with end stage metastatic cancer. She demonstrated consistent compassion and emotional support to the patient and large extended family. Numerous members of the family were allowed at any time during the day or night to remain in the room with the patient. Suzanne earned the trust of the patient and family by routinely keeping them informed of his medical condition and answering questions. She provided emotional support to both the patient and family during discussions regarding quality of life and medical options. She demonstrated extraordinary care to the family after the patient experienced a respiratory/cardiac arrest and did not survive.

The mother of the veteran requested that his body be held in the CICU until his father who was driving from Georgia could see his son. She did not want her husband to view their deceased son in the cold environment of the morgue. Suzanne communicated the mother's request to the Nurse Manager, Acting Associate Director of Patient Care Services, Chief of Pathology, Nursing Officer of the Day requesting that an exception to normal procedure be made for this grieving family. Numerous options were discussed to accommodate this request and it was determined that the patient would remain in the unit and cooling blankets applied to the body until the father arrived. Family was allowed to stay in the room with their loved one or in the family waiting room and the father when he arrived was given the option of seeing his son in the CICU.

Suzanne McDonald was a definite family advocate in this unique scenario and put the needs of the grieving family as the first priority over routine procedure.