August 2022
Allie
Houck
,
BSN, RN
Intensive Care
City of Hope National Medical Center
Duarte
,
CA
United States
RN Allie attended the family meeting, and comforted and supported the mother who never left the bedside.
RN Allie cared for a 19 year old patient on the day the medical providers recommended to transition to full comfort. The patient had experienced several isolated desaturation events prior but that number jumped to 30 on RN Allie's shift, requiring manual bagging every 15 - 20 minutes. RN Allie attended the family meeting, and comforted and supported the mother who never left the bedside. Allie spoke kindly and warmly to the patient without fail. By medical standards, RN Allie's care might be considered futile but it offered perspective and process to a family with limited capacity to articulate and understand English. She remained professional and poured herself into her efforts. Perhaps most impressive is that RN Allie accomplished this while caring for a second patient and being preceptor to a new hire RN.