After receiving anesthesia, the PACU patient is very vulnerable until their return to a normal state. The patient will often not recall their PACU stay let alone their PACU nurse. The bond often formed in nursing units between patient and nurse does not occur as the patient is in the unit for only a few hours. Allison has made a point of continuing to connect with her patients as she did when working in the ICUs and on the surgical floor. Allison has also brought her critical skills from the ICU to the bedside in PACU to make a difference in patient's outcomes.
In a letter, the patient acknowledges Allison's assessment skills to recognize this patient was suffering an acute stroke from a clot formation after a carotid endarterectomy. This patient felt that Allison's assessment skills and notification to the surgeon not only saved her life but also enabled her to have almost a complete recovery. Allison took her care a step further. She went to visit this patient in the ICU as well as the PCU. This is not an uncommon practice for Allison; she has often come into the unit and spoke with me about the patient she went to visit letting me know how they were doing. The patients have expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the compassion she shows in and outside of the PACU. As Allison works longer in the PACU I have observed her sitting at her patient's bedside speaking with them softly, making them comfortable with the frightening experience of waking up after receiving anesthesia.
Allison contributes to the PACU environment in a positive way. She is a member of the Diabetic committee bringing pertinent and new information to the staff. Yearly she helps Kelly Antinori-Lenz with the Diabetic Conference. She assists peers in the unit with training and yearly Point of Care competencies. She has also served on the linen committee. She helped collaborate with the surgical floors on a safe handoff process to transition reports before Voice Care was retired. Allison is helpful to her coworkers; she is often seen working alongside assisting another nurse when they give care to their patients. Allison has been utilized as a preceptor for transitional nursing students, helping them to hone their assessment and competency skills. Coming from the Neuro ICU, she is willing to share valuable knowledge in this specialty with all PACU staff. In the past Allison has prepared to take the CCRN test. She continues to educate herself when pursuing her CPAN certification over the last several years. The knowledge she has gained in the specialty area in which she is working enables her to promote quality care.
Allison's caring compassionate nature along with being an expert in her field exemplifies what the DAISY Award is about.