I cared for an elderly gentleman who was admitted with a heart attack. He suddenly went into a lethal heart arrhythmia that we call ventricular fibrillation. He was unresponsive and his heart was no longer beating. I called a code and shocked his heart and was able to get him back to a normal heart rhythm. The remainder of his hospitalization was unremarkable and he was discharged with instructions to followup with his cardiologist. One year later this gentleman came back to the intensive care unit with a red rose in his hand. He said he had hoped I would be working because this was the one year anniversary of his second life. He thanked me for all of my care as well as that of the rest of the staff.

The same scenario happened for three years in a row... and then I did not see him any more and often wonder what happened to him.

As a nurse, you never know from day to day how you may be remembered.