
Ashley Bull
January 2025
Ashley
Bull
,
RN
ED
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland
Portland
,
ME
United States
She felt strongly that he should go to the ICU. She was persistent with phone calls going up the chain of command to be heard.
Our dad was in the middle of chemo treatments and became unresponsive at home. The ambulance brought him to the ER which is where we met Ashley Bull, nurse extraordinaire! She was friendly, attentive to our dad and us, highly skilled, patient, informative, and kind. She worked tirelessly and efficiently for the 11 hours we were there. She was a positive light in a dire situation. Our dad had very low blood pressure, increased pulse, and a continuously dropping hematocrit despite 4 units of platelets. They could not find the source of the bleeding. She encouraged our dad to get a stool sample which was positive for the blood. She immediately contacted the doctors which led to a GI consult and a scope. The doctors were debating all day between the ICU and the Oncology floor. The plan changed multiple times. She felt strongly that he should go to the ICU. She was persistent with phone calls going up the chain of command to be heard. I’m sure this was frustrating for her, but she showed grace under pressure. She was in constant contact with Oncology, GI, ICU, and ER doctors. She informed us every step of the way. Eventually, they did send him to the ICU, and it saved his life. He had complications which were quickly addressed in the unit. He spent 2 weeks there. He clearly needed to be there. He has received wonderful care here from a lot of great nurses, but Ashley stands out.