Michelle walked into my husband's hospital room at the start of her shift. He was resting, which he hadn't done much of through the night, so she just waved hello, wrote her information on the board in his room, and said she would come back in a bit since he was finally resting. Throughout the morning, she came in to check on J and me, always with great compassion and concern for both of us. At one point, he had an accident in bed. Michelle quickly came in and tended to him, getting him completely cleaned while preserving his modesty and minimizing his having to move. A week prior, when this had happened during another of J's hospital stays, the nurse exclaimed that the cleaning was for the tech, not the nurse to do. This time, Michelle didn't mention a tech and took on the task without complaint or any sense of inconvenience. Later in the day, J had to go to the bathroom again, but really did not want to go in a bedpan. Once again, Michelle quickly came in and helped us devise a plan to get him into the recliner chair and then into the bathroom to try to go on the toilet. When that plan did not work out because of how weak J was, she got a bedside commode in the room and assisted in getting him on that so he could use the bathroom with dignity. After he was done, Michelle again cleaned him with such care and concern.
The heart-wrenching decision was made that day to move J to hospice. Once all of the paperwork was completed and we were told he would be transferred around 5:30 p.m., Michelle never stopped checking in and ensuring J was comfortable and ensuring I was as okay as possible. In fact, Michelle was so attentive that she noticed a change in J's health and recognized that he likely would not make it through the transfer. She quickly alerted higher-ups and got them to also come see J and why she thought he shouldn't be transferred. Because of her attentiveness, concern, and compassion, the decision was made to call off the transfer to hospice care. Michelle's actions and compassionate care left a forever mark on my heart, and I cannot thank her enough for this. Her actions and care allowed J to pass as peacefully as possible, and his friends, family, and I to be with him in his final moments. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Michelle!! If every nurse served their patients and family members with even half the compassion you served us that day, the world would be a better place! You are truly an angel on Earth, and the dignity, respect, and compassion you serve with have forever left a special mark on me.