I recently witnessed Ellen use her exceptional nursing skills to assist her patient as she moved toward taking those final steps on this earth. This lady was terminally ill and was in the last days of her life. As with most hospice patients, they want to stay at home and make that final journey surrounded by the people and things that they hold dear. In this case that was not possible because her care required more intense management than could be provided in the home. The ICU then became her home in the last days of her life supported by the wonderful nurses that cared for her and her family. On the day Ellen cared for her I witnessed again, the extraordinary person that Ellen is. It is a beautiful thing to watch Ellen connect with her patients compassionately and on a very personal level. She helped this patient and her loved ones walk this journey providing them with the dignity, comfort, and grace that was so deserved. She worked diligently to provide this lady with peace and the ability to rest at the end of a long journey.
I read a quote somewhere that said, "Nurses are a special breed of people. They get up in the morning and go to work with one simple, yet profound purpose in mind: I will care for you." Ellen lives that principle and surely does it from her heart. I have witnessed her bestow her gift on so many others. She has affected many lives with the graceful touch of her hands, the warmth of her voice and the loving patience of a truly remarkable nurse. I am so proud to call her my friend.