November 2024
Anders
Ax
,
RN
Critical Care Resource Team
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center
Vancouver
,
WA
United States

 

 

 

The recognition of her need for assistance soothed her, but most importantly, she couldn't stop commenting on the fact that it showed she mattered, even though she wasn't the patient.
An older woman stopped a Clinical Educator in the hallway because she wanted to be sure someone knew about how she had been treated by a nurse at Southwest. "Uh-Oh" thought the educator. Then, the woman started gushing about the kindness and helpfulness she received. Her husband had undergone urgent heart surgery the night before, late enough that she had to enter the hospital through the ED. But on this day shift, she entered at 92nd Ave to try and get to the CVICU in the Tower. She was completely confused and had been lost and misdirected a couple of times. She also had previously been accompanied by other family members, but in this case, she was alone. Anders Ax saw her, clearly lost and distressed, in the hallway and offered to help. He escorted her personally to the CVICU and helped her get into the unit and to her husband's room. As they were traversing the hospital, he told her that he had only been at Southwest a few weeks and was still in orientation. While this seems like a simple thing, the visitor explained that she had been wandering the hallways for a while, she was extremely worried about her husband, she is older and was getting weary, and she stated that she was just about to "meltdown" due to frustration, lack of support, and anxiety. The recognition of her need for assistance soothed her, but most importantly, she couldn't stop commenting on the fact that it showed she mattered, even though she wasn't the patient. She indicated that having someone demonstrate consideration for her changed her whole perception of the hospital. She knew then that she and her husband were in the hands of people who cared.