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New Program for Grieving Families

By Alysa Hritzik & Amy McCrory, Publishers, North Lake Macaroni Kid February 12, 2019

AdventHealth Waterman is preparing to launch a new program designed to improve the bereavement process and reduces stress for grieving patients and families.

Called the “Butterfly Project,” this new program uses evidence-based care for patients receiving hospice care, patients on comfort measures only, actively passing patients who are newly designated as Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), or patients planned for withdrawal of care. When any of these events occur, the bedside nurse can initiate the Butterfly Project, named to reflect the symbol of a human passing into the afterlife, just as a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.

The Butterfly Project is highlighted by certain caring activities to improve the patient and family experience dramatically.  For example, simply placing a colorful blanket or shawl on the patient changes the look and feel of the room. As another example, when a hospice patient is withdrawn from care, the nurse works to create a sacred ambiance by removing unnecessary equipment, freshening up the patient, and placing more comfortable loungers in the room for family visitation.  Another hallmark of the Butterfly Project is a bereavement cart in the room with refreshments, light music, and lavender oil diffused into the area, creating a “homier” space where family members and patients could feel welcomed, safe, and cared for.

Additional Butterfly Project care includes giving mementos to close family members, such as a keepsake with the fingerprints of the deceased, or a lock of hair with a touching poem.

Initially trialed in the intensive care unit (ICU), the result of these changes has been astonishing. Families reported feeling welcomed, some crying because of the difference in care they felt.

Several hundred AdventHealth Waterman nurses recently underwent training on the Butterfly Project during the hospital’s annual Intensive Care Skills fair. Barb Richards of the AdventHealth Waterman education department led the training session in a variety of skills over a span of three days. 

In March, the Butterfly project will officially launch in the ICU, with phased roll outs planned for the cardiovascular-ICU, progressive care unit, and emergency department later this year