Madison Keefe
February 2026
Madison
Keefe
,
BSN, RN
4.1 Neurology
Lawrence + Memorial Hospital
New London
,
CT
United States
This was an unusual comfort experience that Madison managed, and she brought such a warm, comforting, and honoring experience to a patient and family who have had so many years of dedication, commitment, and service to our hospital and patients.
A patient well known and respected to LMH was extubated and transferred to 4.1 for end-of-life care and room share with his wife, who was also admitted on 4.1.
The original plan for the two patients was to be discharged home with hospice care for the husband, so the wife and family could spend the last moments in the comfort of their own home.
The patient’s entire family came to visit on Sunday, and after they all left (except the daughter), the nursing team (Madison and Rebecca) noticed his breathing started to change and recognized the clinical signs of him actively passing.
Due to the wife’s medical diagnosis, she is wheelchair bound, and all her extremities are contracted, making it challenging to position her close to her husband. Madison, Rebecca, and team positioned the wife and husband’s bed to be together so they could be close, and she could lay her hand over his during his last moments.
While pronouncing the patient’s death, Madison, experiencing her first death, and although an emotional moment, was described by Rebecca to be strong, supportive, and compassionate with the family, especially her other patient, the wife.
As you can imagine, the patient’s wife, who is admitted and alone, was emotionally distraught and wanted to go home with her family for grieving support. Madison made that happen at 9:00 pm with assistance from the attending.
Madison made it a priority to collaborate with the wife’s MD, providing detailed patient/family education, setting up and making sure all home visits and needs were set up, dressing the wife, and transferring her into her wheelchair so she could head home and grieve with her family. This enabled her to go home with a safe discharge plan.
While this was an emotional experience for the entire nursing team, Madison, a new graduate RN, held such composure to make sure the wife and family experienced the best intimate experience while her husband was actively dying. Madison was recognized not only by her nursing colleagues but also by the family and provider as well.
This was an unusual comfort experience that Madison managed, and she brought such a warm, comforting, and honoring experience to a patient and family who have had so many years of dedication, commitment, and service to our hospital and patients.
I am extremely proud of Madison and her ability to honor these two patients while caring for her other three patients.
The original plan for the two patients was to be discharged home with hospice care for the husband, so the wife and family could spend the last moments in the comfort of their own home.
The patient’s entire family came to visit on Sunday, and after they all left (except the daughter), the nursing team (Madison and Rebecca) noticed his breathing started to change and recognized the clinical signs of him actively passing.
Due to the wife’s medical diagnosis, she is wheelchair bound, and all her extremities are contracted, making it challenging to position her close to her husband. Madison, Rebecca, and team positioned the wife and husband’s bed to be together so they could be close, and she could lay her hand over his during his last moments.
While pronouncing the patient’s death, Madison, experiencing her first death, and although an emotional moment, was described by Rebecca to be strong, supportive, and compassionate with the family, especially her other patient, the wife.
As you can imagine, the patient’s wife, who is admitted and alone, was emotionally distraught and wanted to go home with her family for grieving support. Madison made that happen at 9:00 pm with assistance from the attending.
Madison made it a priority to collaborate with the wife’s MD, providing detailed patient/family education, setting up and making sure all home visits and needs were set up, dressing the wife, and transferring her into her wheelchair so she could head home and grieve with her family. This enabled her to go home with a safe discharge plan.
While this was an emotional experience for the entire nursing team, Madison, a new graduate RN, held such composure to make sure the wife and family experienced the best intimate experience while her husband was actively dying. Madison was recognized not only by her nursing colleagues but also by the family and provider as well.
This was an unusual comfort experience that Madison managed, and she brought such a warm, comforting, and honoring experience to a patient and family who have had so many years of dedication, commitment, and service to our hospital and patients.
I am extremely proud of Madison and her ability to honor these two patients while caring for her other three patients.