A nurse and her coworkers at Intermountain Medical Center gave a married couple with COVID-19 — who’d both been intubated and sedated for more than 20 days — the chance to hold hands and reconnect during some of their darkest hours.
Adrianne Davis, RN
Adrianne noticed the wife had become alert, but she was still intubated and looked depressed. It really bothered Adrianne who imagined how she’d feel if she were the patient.
Adrianne decided she’d make it her mission that day to make the wife smile. “During my shift I started to wonder if it wasn’t so much sickness as sadness,” she says. “I felt like this patient needed someone to pay attention to her in a different way. I tried to be funny and got a little smile out of her and thought to myself, ‘Yes, it’s working. I’m going to make her happy today.’ Next, I tired turning her bed toward the window, but she wasn’t interested.
Brittany Hansen, RN
“Meanwhile, Brittany and I had been talking about how this patient’s husband was in the room next door. My mind would take me down the worst rabbit hole if I hadn’t seen or talked to my husband in weeks. I’d be so worried.
“We both felt this couple needed something beyond their medical care — not only were they not allowed to have any family visitors due to the COVID restrictions, but they were waking up to a scary new reality with their illnesses and everyone wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE).
“I casually mentioned to Katelyn Siano, RN, the charge nurse, the idea of getting the couple together. I thought maybe it would help encourage them or give them some peace to see the person that they love and know they’re still alive.”
Katelyn Siano, RN
Katelyn liked the idea, but the unit was so busy that it was going to be hard to execute. Adrianne kept advocating for it, asking other caregivers and doctors if it was possible.
Half of the RICU is isolated from other departments and only has COVID-19 positive patients. The area uses negative pressure to keep airborne infections, such as COVID-19, from spreading into other parts of the hospital. This helped make it possible to move the wife safely without infecting other patients.
Adrianne received permission from nurse practitioner, Erick Howe, and help and support from Brittany, Katelyn, and Ryan Kippen, a respiratory therapist. They moved the wife into the husband’s room for a couple hours.
Ryan Kippen
“Upon seeing the husband I knew we’d made the right decision,” says Adrianne. “He’d also been coming off of sedation, and I’ve never seen a patient look so panicked. We think he was having trouble seeing, and I’m not sure if he knew his wife was next to him until he felt her hand and we told him it was his wife’s hand.
“Katelyn helped them clasp their hands together and tears streamed down his face. The wife was really happy just scanning his face and holding his hand. They both did really well. His breathing seemed to ease and she rested.”
Adrianne says after the couple connected she decided to call their adult son via Facetime. It was the first time he’d seen his parents awake since their hospitalization. “He happened to be at their house,” says Adrianne. “I took the iPad over to the wife to show her. He was like, ‘Mom, I’m watering your garden. Look at your strawberries and squash. When you guys come home we’re going to eat all of it.’
“When the husband heard his son’s words of encouragement, he started crying again. It was so sweet. I hope it gave them some relief.”
“I’m constantly impressed with the creativity of our nurses and care teams in finding an emotional connection with their patients,” says Paul Krakovitz, MD, vice president and chief medical officer of Specialty-Based Care. “This story is a profound example of excellence, empathy, and determination in giving the best possible care.”
The husband and wife are still in the ICU at the hospital and have moved to a non-COVID-19 unit where they’re continuing to recover.