Andrea Foster
March 2024
Andrea
Foster
,
RN
7T
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
Phoenix
,
AZ
United States
Having an experienced and knowledgeable supporting leader in the unit is essential, as they can support the unit as needed. One who goes above and beyond for both patients and colleagues, like Andrea did, is worth recognition.
I would like to recognize two nurses who went above and beyond for patient care and colleague support.
I started my shift on Monday at 1900 with 4 patients and a couple of patients were extremely heavy, but one in particular had to be placed on restraints by 1930. He was extremely agitated and was hitting himself on the bed, using profanities, kicking, and pushing. 1 mg of Ativan every 4 hours was not sufficient to calm him down. From the report given they had said it was "his baseline" since admission. He was oriented to 2 but would wax and wane as the night went by.
The charge nurse that night, Andrea, recognized that the more the night progressed, the worse the patient got clinically. She had been assisting me with this particular patient, so she was as concerned as I was. She shared that she wanted further evaluation of the patient. I was onboard.
She called Swat Nurse Seanna for an extra set of eyes and assessment, and they both agreed that the patient needed further evaluation. The charge nurse reached out to the doctor who came to the unit and ordered a ton of labs and diagnostic studies.
One of the diagnostics ordered was a stat CT and the reading was done later in the day, when the 3 of us weren't working. When I returned to the unit that evening, the patient had been transferred to the ICU Unit due to the CT read.
Having an experienced and knowledgeable supporting leader in the unit is essential, as they can support the unit as needed. One who goes above and beyond for both patients and colleagues, like Andrea did, is worth recognition. If it hadn't been for her noting that there was an issue that needed to be addressed, the patient could not have been provided with appropriate care.
Another Kudos goes to Seanna, as mentioned when she was called by the charge nurse, she answered to the call and with her vast experience agreed that the patient needed help therefore pursued more care. Seanna could have refused or asked her to just page the doctor directly but instead knew that if our charge nurse was concerned, it was legit.
The two of them working together to help me is also a testament to peer support that needs to be noted. Both have been employed for a while and both are staff, and I am a traveler, but working together for the sake of the patient, regardless of the titles, is commendable.
This is the epitome of HUMANKINDNESS showcased, therefore, if I may, can I request that both be acknowledged and celebrated for being stellar. The night would have been tough without these incredible leaders/employees, but I am glad because the support they offered enabled me to serve my patient and my other 3.
I started my shift on Monday at 1900 with 4 patients and a couple of patients were extremely heavy, but one in particular had to be placed on restraints by 1930. He was extremely agitated and was hitting himself on the bed, using profanities, kicking, and pushing. 1 mg of Ativan every 4 hours was not sufficient to calm him down. From the report given they had said it was "his baseline" since admission. He was oriented to 2 but would wax and wane as the night went by.
The charge nurse that night, Andrea, recognized that the more the night progressed, the worse the patient got clinically. She had been assisting me with this particular patient, so she was as concerned as I was. She shared that she wanted further evaluation of the patient. I was onboard.
She called Swat Nurse Seanna for an extra set of eyes and assessment, and they both agreed that the patient needed further evaluation. The charge nurse reached out to the doctor who came to the unit and ordered a ton of labs and diagnostic studies.
One of the diagnostics ordered was a stat CT and the reading was done later in the day, when the 3 of us weren't working. When I returned to the unit that evening, the patient had been transferred to the ICU Unit due to the CT read.
Having an experienced and knowledgeable supporting leader in the unit is essential, as they can support the unit as needed. One who goes above and beyond for both patients and colleagues, like Andrea did, is worth recognition. If it hadn't been for her noting that there was an issue that needed to be addressed, the patient could not have been provided with appropriate care.
Another Kudos goes to Seanna, as mentioned when she was called by the charge nurse, she answered to the call and with her vast experience agreed that the patient needed help therefore pursued more care. Seanna could have refused or asked her to just page the doctor directly but instead knew that if our charge nurse was concerned, it was legit.
The two of them working together to help me is also a testament to peer support that needs to be noted. Both have been employed for a while and both are staff, and I am a traveler, but working together for the sake of the patient, regardless of the titles, is commendable.
This is the epitome of HUMANKINDNESS showcased, therefore, if I may, can I request that both be acknowledged and celebrated for being stellar. The night would have been tough without these incredible leaders/employees, but I am glad because the support they offered enabled me to serve my patient and my other 3.