Celebrating our care givers...the true meaning of patient care

I was in a meting with the Dean of our Medical School yesterday and he noted that I must be really busy lately because I haven't added any new blog posts recently. Astute as always, he also has a way of helping me to reflect and refocus on our mission and why it is we are ultimately here.

With great timing, right after our meeting, I received this note from one of our managers and thought it was fitting to share as just one example of many that define and distinguish our care givers at Jewish Hospital. Granted, this is a little late for nurses day, but then again we don't have to wait for just one day a year to share and celebrate the caring and compassionate care givers we have exhibiting excellence in action. Please read the note below and if you see one of our care givers today, please tell them "Thank You" and encourage them for the outstanding jobs that they do each and every day!

"I wanted to share an example of why after three plus decades I am still a nurse and still in management. Yesterday we lost a patient. Working in ICU this is not an uncommon event but this time it hurt more than it normally does. I was so proud of our team of nurses, nursing assistants, unit secretaries, respiratory therapists, chaplains, social workers and physicians; everyone treated her with love and respect. Her mother hugged me yesterday prior to her death, and asked me if I knew what a great team that we had, and I told her "absolutely". Our patient died surrounded by the love of her family but also surrounded by the compassion and love of the ICU Tower's team, the RT's and everyone else mentioned. It was a true interdisciplinary effort. During this last hospitalization she received manicures, shampoos, her legs were shaved and of course lots of friendship. In the scheme of things this may not seem important but these were tasks that normalized a far from normal existence while in a hospital. These were tasks done by a team that is used to a high tech environment but who knew these tasks perhaps made this high tech environment more "normal" and truthfully it made "us" feel helpful in a situation where we felt helpless. At the management meetings we are always asked what "wins" we have had. Although it was not a win as such for the team since we lost our patient and this has been a horribly sad event, I am immensely proud of our team. They were high tech when they needed to be, they were humanistic when they needed to be. They just were everything they should have been and I am proud."

--From a Jewish Hospital Nurse Manager (edited to protect the identity of our patient)

Celebrating our care givers...the true meaning of patient care