Happy Moment in the ICU

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Specializes in ICU and EMS.

The ICU that I work in has recently been slammed with very high accuity patients, and several very young patients... most of which have lost their battles.

The last shift that I worked was more of the same. When 5pm rolled around, we were all sitting at the nurses station trying to catch up on our charting before the end of our shift. One of our nurses who had been particularly busy with a young 30-some year old stage IV cancer patient (and was told that day that she only had less than 2 weeks to live) ran into the nurses station with a giant smile saying, "we have to plan a wedding... she wants to get married NOW!"

We all dropped our charting, and quickly began pulling everything together. Someone went down to the kitchen and got a cake. Someone else went to the gift shop and got decorations. Somehow a big boquet of flowers appeared. Costume jewelry rings were dug out of a drawer. The resident downloaded wedding music on her iPhone. Within an hour, we had whipped up a wedding!

The patient's family and fiance gathered around the bed, and all of the ICU nurses, techs, respiratory therapists, doctors/residents, and the secretary squeezed into the room to watch. There wasn't a dry eye in the room!

I'm glad that I could participate in honoring her wishes!

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Specializes in Peds Homecare.

God Bless all of you! What a wonderful, caring thing to do.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

That's so awesome! Good for you all...what a wonderful, and memorable thing to do. God bless you all!

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This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing. :crying2:

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Specializes in LTC.

Wow. That is so amazing!

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Specializes in Neuro/NSGY, critical care, med/stroke/tele.

I love this.

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Specializes in Gerontology.

I could cry. What a wonderful thing to do!

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That's so fabulous!!!! Our PICU recently put together a prom. It's amazing what a determined group of nurses can whip together in a hurry!

A toast to her and her new husband! May their days together, no matter how few they are, be filled with love and happiness.

*wine

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Specializes in pediatric critical care.

What a wonderful thing you all did, it my me cry, and made me proud to be a nurse and work with awesome people like you!

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Wow - that story just put into words all of the reasons I haven't been able to express why I want to go into this field. Thank you for a heart-warming story on this day of thanksgiving!

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Specializes in ER.

how beautiful.

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We did this once..it was something I'll remember forever.

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