Nursing a Caring Profession

 Nursing a Caring Profession
An older gentleman was admitted to Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania to the intensive care unit overnight. When I came on shift as nursing Supervisor in the morning as the nursing supervisor, the nurses on duty in the unit told me that he was to have a fiftieth wedding anniversary party with his family that night. Instead of attending the party, he fell ill and woulld be unable to attend the planned event. He was gravely ill. As a matter of fact, his condition was very poor and the doctors said it would be a miracle if he left the hospital alive.
The wheels started to churn in my creative brain. I asked the staff to call the dietary department and request plastic martini looking glasses and a cake usually reserved for birthdays. I thought that we could have some celebration ready for the family when they came in to visit.
We made a “Happy 50th Anniversary” banner from computer paper and markers and we hung it above his bed. We borrowed a Polaroid camera from the security department and waited for the wife and grown children to come in. We broke the hospital’s rules and allowed the family to visit him all at oonce instead of two at a time. Besides waiving the two visitor rule we allowed the family to gather around the bed. They were impressed that we’d taken the time to make a banner, but could hardly hold back the tears when we brought the cake and ginger ale in glasses for their impromptu party. We snapped a few pictures of the family gathered around their father and husband resting in this bed. We finished the gesture of compassion and good will by giving them the photos. Even though the family was unable to attend their planned party, they were able to celebrate the anniversary and they had photos of that moment in time.
I wish I could say the man recovered and that he was able to rejoin his family, but it was not meant to be. He died several days later, but the family had memories of the anniversary and the pictures to keep.