Handmade ‘finish line’ motivates a patient’s mobility goals

Helping patients reach the health care finish line is a top priority, and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital respiratory therapist Bre Albert made that mission a reality in an unforgettable way.

Albert was caring for an ICU patient working towards qualifying for the lung transplant list. One of the requirements is improved mobility, so Albert and the patient would go for regular walks around the unit. This was not easy for the patient.

“I worked with this patient for a while and got to know her personality,” Albert said. “I could tell she was struggling with mobility and needed some motivation to stay on track with her goals.”

Albert and her team decided to make the patient’s next mobility session extra special.

While maintaining her regular assignments, Albert hunted down supplies to craft a handmade, sparkly paper chain “finish line” for the patient to cross on her last walk of the day.

“I worked on the finish line during my breaks and put it together with some tape and my imagination,” she said.

With the hot pink, purple, fuchsia and lavender paper chain finish line complete, Albert coordinated with the patient’s family and nurses to surprise her.

The family stood in front of the patient’s room, holding the finish line as she rounded the corner with Albert for the final stretch of the walk.

With the finish line now in sight, the patient picked up the pace with a smile on her face as the family and other staff in the unit began cheering her on.

“The walks were tough for her, but once she saw everyone and the finish line, her mood and attitude did a total 180-degree turn,” Albert said. “The patient’s family was so thankful for our efforts and told me that the colors I picked were her favorites. That made the situation even more special.”

The patient made the lung transplant list and successfully received new lungs shortly after achieving her mobility goals.

Jason Marx, a respiratory therapist at University of Colorado Hospital, shared his gratitude for Albert’s efforts in a recent Celebrating You nomination. “Bre is a new grad respiratory therapist with great clinical skills, and her thoughtfulness and creativity in patient care are a superpower. …On a somewhat rough day, (Bre’s efforts) created a big bright spot for a lot of people on that unit. It’s the type of care that I am so proud to be a part of.”