Coleen Hussey
April 2014
Coleen
Hussey
,
BSN, RN, PCCN
IMC
UF Health - Shands
Gainesville
,
FL
United States

 

 

 

Coleen Hussey began her shift on Unit 94 IMC by getting report about an elderly patient who was being consulted for hospice/palliative care. She learned that the patient's daughter was on Unit 24 IMC and being discharged with hospice to pass away at home. Coleen realized that she needed to get both mother and daughter together prior to the daughter going home because that could possibly be their last time to see each other. Coleen contemplated transporting the mother to 24 IMC to visit with her daughter; however, she was too unstable to transport. Coleen then realized that if she could get a med/surg bed for the patient sharing a room with the mother, she could transfer the daughter from 24 IMC to that bed space and mother and daughter could be together along with their entire family.

Coleen contacted nursing coordinators, charge nurses, and physicians to coordinate the transfer of the daughter up to 94 IMC. The mother was in excruciating pain and Coleen wanted her to be able to interact with her daughter and family so she was hesitant to administer the ordered PRN medications. Instead, Coleen advocated for her patient to get a nerve block to control the patient's pain.

It was a beautiful moment when the daughter arrived in the room with her mother. Coleen and the 24 IMC nurse were able to push both beds together and position the patients in a way that both mother and daughter could hold each other's hands and see each other. Their family was able to be present in one place to be there for both women during the last moments of their lives. When both women came together there was a sense of calm in the room that could be felt by all.

Coleen did an excellent job of recognizing the need to bring mother and daughter together to bring peace during the dying process. She went above and beyond to coordinate this caring moment.