Doreen Bostwick
October 2013
Doreen
Bostwick
,
RN
OR
Maricopa Integrated Health System-Medical Center
Phoenix
,
AZ
United States

 

 

 

Traumatic death of a child is one of the most challenging events to wrap one's mind around. Often as nurses we stumble on our words to family in this horrible time. When the child's heart stops beating we turn our focus to provide family center care to ensure a smooth transition into the stages of grief. Doreen not only focuses on the family, but she continues to provide an immense compassion and dignity for the child. Doreen has handmade personalized identification tags with small flowers and gingerly placed them upon the children who pass to heaven in the OR or after organ donation. I have never witnessed a more compassionate emotional support during this hellacious moment of time for the family. The personal commitment that Doreen has for our pediatric patients is of a caliber I have never seen. To take personal time outside of work to create such a beautiful final moment of dignity is awe inspiring to us all.