2 North had a very sick gentleman admitted to IMU. He had many chronic health conditions, including cancer, a tracheostomy, and more. Both Patty and another nurse cared for this patient on different occasions throughout his stay.

Talking to him, we found out that he had a long-time girlfriend of 25+ years. During his stay, his health continued to decline, and it was eventually decided that hospice would be the only option for this patient as his cancer had progressed significantly. Arrangements to go home on hospice were made, but the patient decided that he wanted to marry his long-time girlfriend before leaving to go home on hospice, as he wasn’t sure how much time he had left.

Patty and the other nurse made arrangements with the patient’s family to make this happen for him. These ladies went out of their way to decorate the patient’s room, get flowers for the ceremony, and change the patient out of his hospital gown and into proper wedding attire. These ladies showed their dedication to their patients’ holistic care and a strong sense of compassion.

They made the time and put in the effort to help a dying man complete his wish of marrying his girlfriend and giving her some stability in life, knowing he wouldn’t be around for too much longer. Patty is an excellent clinician, role model on the floor, committed, compassionate, and a patient advocate, and I am beyond proud to have her working for me on 2 North.