Calling all nurses! "Heartbeat in a Bottle" is a gift I make for family when a loved one is at the end of their life and going to die. This gift is a printout of the patient's electrocardiogram strip in a medication vial. All supplies with the exception of the ribbon can be found on your unit!

I can tell you with certainty that this gift is very touching to the family and can really mean a great deal.

Supplies:

- 1 Medication vial (generally over 1 inch in length will do)

- 1 Red ribbon

- 1 EKG strip (3 inches minimum)

- 1 Scissors

- 1 Hemostat

- 1 Cotton Swab

- 5 Alcohol Prep Pads

- 1 Nail

I hope that this Instructable will help other healthcare providers make a real impact in the care for the family as a whole.

Step 1: Step 1: Prepare the Bottle

1. Use the 5 alcohol prep pads to remove the medication label from the vial. The pads should make the label easy to peel off and remove any remaining stickiness.

2. Use your hemostat to remove the surrounding metal frame at the top of the vial. The metal is very thin and should pull apart without too much effort.

3. Wash your bottle with water and dry it with your cotton swab. Be sure to save your rubber lid!

Step 2: Step 2: Prepare Your EKG Strip and Bottle

1. Measure your EKG strip against your bottle. Ensure your strip will fit inside your bottle. Cut it to size and place it inside the dry bottle.

2. Create a pilot hole in your rubber lid so that you can guide the red ribbon through. It is easy to push the nail through the rubber lid if the lid remains on the bottle.

Step 3: Step 3: the Ribbon

1. Put a bend in your ribbon. Lay the ends on top of one another, on your bottle lid. Your loop should be about the same height as your bottle.

2. Place your nail on top of your ribbon ends and guide the ends through the pilot hole into the bottle.

3. Remove the rubber lid and tie a simple knot.

4. Cut remaining ribbon off the end leaving just enough to drop into the bottle behind your EKG strip.

Step 4: Finished!

I hope that you can use this to make a real impact in your practice. Please remember to take care of your patient and their family! Make a difference!

If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to reach out!