November 2023
Angelica
Rodriguez
,
RN
Float Team
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford
Palo Alto
,
CA
United States
I was so impressed with how Angelica took the time to meet this patient where they were and to see the whole person, recognizing that, despite some developmental delay, they were still very much aware of everything that was going on around them.
Angelica went above and beyond to provide family-centered care for a patient and family in SSU. The patient was in SSU after a procedure; they had hearing loss, a TBI, and a history of aggression. Unfortunately, their sign language skills were limited at this point, so communication was a challenge. Over the course of her shift, Angelica was able to build a therapeutic relationship with this patient and family and even develop some simple tools for communication that allowed this patient to sufficiently convey their needs and preferences. While the patient had arrived in restraints due to their aggression and the risk for PIV removal, within a few hours, Angelica was able to teach them how to calm themselves, use simple gestures for communication, support them in completing aspects of their own care such as taking PO medication, and ultimately discontinue the restraints. Angelica's therapeutic care also prevented the need for escalating interventions that might have resulted if the patient had remained agitated. I was so impressed with how Angelica took the time to meet this patient where they were and to see the whole person, recognizing that, despite some developmental delay, they were still very much aware of everything that was going on around them. Angelica's interventions also improved the patient's home life by providing the family with tools to better communicate with their child at home. This story barely encompasses all that Angelica did on this shift to support this family, but it certainly demonstrates her patient advocacy, patient-centered care, professionalism, patient care excellence, and outstanding service in going above and beyond for this patient and family.