Communities across Nebraska and Iowa have felt the impact of recent snowfall and below-zero temperatures, but that weather didn’t stop one Iowa hospice nurse. Tiffany McArdle, hospice nurse for St. Croix Hospice, told sister station KETV that in her seven years of working as a hospice nurse, she never imagined she would be walking through a blizzard to reach a patient, but she said she never doubted she would find a way to make it to the family in need on Sunday.”I walked through a lot of snow to get to the door,” McArdle said. “Got to the door and the wife answered, and she started crying.”An emotional moment, made possible by McArdle’s determination to reach her patient. “A patient’s wife had called in saying that her husband had had a change in condition,” McArdle said. “We were experiencing a blizzard at the same time.”Still, McArdle said she knew she had to get to the house.”I knew they lived alone,” McArdle said. “No, no other family nearby. They were country side, so I knew I needed to get there. You get very close to these families and the patients, I mean, and we do go to wherever our patients call home. That’s where we go.” The house is situated off of a gravel road on top of a hill. “I actually got out of my car, kind of walked up to see how bad it was,” McArdle said. “I could see the house from the hill, and I knew I couldn’t make it.”McArdle said she called a friend with a truck. That friend was able to drive her to the end of the family’s driveway, but with snow still falling and a drifted-over driveway. McArdle had to make a quick decision.”We actually found a spot through the yard that was not as much snow,” McArdle said. She walked the rest of the way to the front door. “Walking through the snow, the drifts were so bad,” McArdle said. “And, I mean, the snow was up to my knees, walking through it to get to her door.”McArdle said it took her nearly an hour to reach the house after the call came through. Shocking her patient’s wife when she actually arrived. “She was very overwhelmed with everything that was going on,” McArdle said. “She didn’t think anybody was going to be able to make it to her.”After making sure her patient was comfortable, McArdle said she made a call to the Page County Sheriff’s Department.”I realized we need to get a plow on this road just in case, you know, the funeral home was going to have to make it,” McArdle said. “And I wanted her kids to be able to be with her as well at this time.”McArdle said within an hour, the sheriff and the county’s plow had the family’s road and driveway cleared. “It was just a very heartwarming experience,” McArdle said. “It was a very emotional experience. I mean, I was very proud. And to represent St. Croix Hospice like that, you know, meant the world.”McArdle said thanks to the help of the sheriff’s office and the county plow, her patient’s family was able to say their final goodbyes in person. “She didn’t have to say anything,” McArdle said. “I felt it. She, she was happy that we could be there, and to get him comfortable, it meant the world to her.”The Page County Sheriff’s Department said it wasn’t a question to step in and help because their duties go beyond law enforcement. Adding, they’re there to help people in need and this was just one small way of doing that.
Communities across Nebraska and Iowa have felt the impact of recent snowfall and below-zero temperatures, but that weather didn’t stop one Iowa hospice nurse.
Tiffany McArdle, hospice nurse for St. Croix Hospice, told sister station KETV that in her seven years of working as a hospice nurse, she never imagined she would be walking through a blizzard to reach a patient, but she said she never doubted she would find a way to make it to the family in need on Sunday.
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“I walked through a lot of snow to get to the door,” McArdle said. “Got to the door and the wife answered, and she started crying.”
An emotional moment, made possible by McArdle’s determination to reach her patient.
“A patient’s wife had called in saying that her husband had had a change in condition,” McArdle said. “We were experiencing a blizzard at the same time.”
Still, McArdle said she knew she had to get to the house.
“I knew they lived alone,” McArdle said. “No, no other family nearby. They were country side, so I knew I needed to get there. You get very close to these families and the patients, I mean, and we do go to wherever our patients call home. That’s where we go.”
The house is situated off of a gravel road on top of a hill.
“I actually got out of my car, kind of walked up to see how bad it was,” McArdle said. “I could see the house from the hill, and I knew I couldn’t make it.”
McArdle said she called a friend with a truck. That friend was able to drive her to the end of the family’s driveway, but with snow still falling and a drifted-over driveway. McArdle had to make a quick decision.
“We actually found a spot through the yard that was not as much snow,” McArdle said.
She walked the rest of the way to the front door.
“Walking through the snow, the drifts were so bad,” McArdle said. “And, I mean, the snow was up to my knees, walking through it to get to her door.”
McArdle said it took her nearly an hour to reach the house after the call came through. Shocking her patient’s wife when she actually arrived.
“She was very overwhelmed with everything that was going on,” McArdle said. “She didn’t think anybody was going to be able to make it to her.”
After making sure her patient was comfortable, McArdle said she made a call to the Page County Sheriff’s Department.
“I realized we need to get a plow on this road just in case, you know, the funeral home was going to have to make it,” McArdle said. “And I wanted her kids to be able to be with her as well at this time.”
McArdle said within an hour, the sheriff and the county’s plow had the family’s road and driveway cleared.
“It was just a very heartwarming experience,” McArdle said. “It was a very emotional experience. I mean, I was very proud. And to represent St. Croix Hospice like that, you know, meant the world.”
McArdle said thanks to the help of the sheriff’s office and the county plow, her patient’s family was able to say their final goodbyes in person.
“She [patient’s wife] didn’t have to say anything,” McArdle said. “I felt it. She, she was happy that we could be there, and to get him comfortable, it meant the world to her.”
The Page County Sheriff’s Department said it wasn’t a question to step in and help because their duties go beyond law enforcement. Adding, they’re there to help people in need and this was just one small way of doing that.
