There are many things I love about the snow but one of the reasons I just found out today. Apparently, in Louisville, on snow days you get buy one get one free Blizzards at Dairy Queen. Seriously- there couldn’t be a better sale. And guess what? It snowed today in Louisville.

At 10pm every night at work we do what’s called our last round. It’s right before shift change so we all go to our respective halls and check each and every patient/resident to make sure not only are they clean but their rooms are as well. Of course all of the residents are asleep and have been for at least 2 hours by now but we have to wake them up to check/change them anyway. Usually my hall partner and I will do our last round together because it goes faster that way.

The first resident was one of my hall partners then we moved on to one of mine. Now, some nurse aids just rip the covers off of the resident and start changing them and the resident is rudely awaken. I like to take a different approach and wake them, gently, and tell them what I’m about to do.  If the resident is an alert one, they will open their eyes, make eye contact with you and give you the go ahead. If the resident is not alert they at least make eye contact with you which lets you know that they are awake and have acknowledged your presence. Since it was my resident we were about to change I took the initiative and tried to wake her. I lightly rubbed her shoulder while speaking her name softly. Nothing. I rubbed a little harder and said her name louder. No response. Her eyes were slightly open but that’s how she sleeps sometimes. Her breathing was almost non-existant and she didn’t move a muscle. I knew she was on hospice but I had checked on her a hour before and she was fine. At the beginning of my shift her vitals were within normal range.

My hall partner walked in the room and I filled him in. We checked her pulse and although it was there, it was very faint. Even though I’ve never had a patient die in my care I knew what to do. I ran to get my hall nurse. In the two seconds it took for her to run in the room the resident’s breathing had gone from 10 breathes a minute to 6. Then to 4. And then to 2. The nurse called the family because if the resident is going the family needs to have the chance to say goodbye.

It only took 5 minutes for the family to arrive and in that time we had gotten the room together and made everything look presentable. Also in that time my resident passed. I held off crying until I said my condolences to the family and got into my next patient’s room. Even though that resident was an un-alert one whom you could never converse with, she was my resident. She was everyone’s resident. It hit us all hard.

Since I started working at the nursing home seven residents have died. Carrie’s death was the first to bring tears to my eyes. Only one before that was I actually close to. I know Carrie was in pain and now she’s in a better place but it’s still tough. I can only imagine how hard it will hit me when one of my favorite residents die. You will be missed Carrie.