Julianna De Senna, RN, BSN

A patient was brought into the emergency department who was critically ill and very unstable. This patient ended up coding multiple times. Throughout the time the patient was in the department, Julianna was very communicative with the patient's daughter, who lived many miles away. After several codes, the patient's daughter made the very difficult decision to transition the patient to comfort care. The patient's daughter was very distraught, especially given the distance, and the inability to come down to see her mother was heartbreaking for her. With the daughter's permission, Julianna was able to FaceTime the patient's daughter to allow her the ability to see her one last time and speak with her to say her final goodbyes. Throughout the rest of the time with the patient, Julianna remained communicative about everything being done for her mother, reassuring her that her priority was to keep her mother comfortable and free from pain or distress. Julianna started the morphine drip, stayed attentive to her comfort, and checked on her frequently while respiratory therapy began the process of weaning her from the ventilator. The patient ultimately passed peacefully while Julianna was at her bedside, so she was not alone in her final moments.