Laura Smith-Gary, BSN, RN
The vascular surgery unit typically doesn’t see much death, but that changed last year when it became a designated COVID-19 unit.
Bedside nurse Laura Smith-Gary, BSN, RN, didn’t let the fear of the virus get in the way of comforting patients who were at the end of their lives, said fellow nurse Monica Poeske, BSN, RN. Smith-Gary held their hands, prayed with them if they wanted, and advocated to allow a family member to visit every time they were approaching death.
“She also empowered the rest of us to advocate for our patients, to give everyone a chance at a peaceful death, even amidst the horrible circumstances,” Poeske said.
In addition to spending extra time with her own patients, Smith-Gary reached out to Palliative Care and other units that were more familiar with comfort care. Armed with new resources, she put together a binder of information to help her fellow nurses feel more comfortable with the end-of-life process.
Smith-Gary was one of 12 people recognized in this year’s Patient Advocacy Awards. The awards recognize employees for their commitment to the Penn Medicine experience and the Penn Medicine Standards: Compassionate, Present, Empowered, Collaborative, and Accountable.
“Laura went out of her way every single time. Even if she wasn’t caring for that patient, she would reach out to the staff and make sure they knew what to do,” Poeske said. “Everyone felt really supported, and it inspired more people to spend time in rooms and all work together to help people pass more peacefully.”