Capella and I were on Emergency Transport for a patient coming from an outside facility. We are a nurse/paramedic team that has been on transport together for over 10 years. Capella could earn a DAISY nomination on most days, but this one is so important. We arrived at an outside hospital to pick up a patient coming to CHOP. The patient was much more critical in presentation than originally presented. The patient's mother was new to not only the area but to the country as well. The patient's mother's native language was French-Creole, and additionally, she was able to speak/understand some Spanish. The outside facility did not recognize or understand that although she spoke a minimal amount of Spanish, it was not enough to understand and receive the medical information that was being given to her regarding the patient, the patient's history, and the patient's disposition. The facility stated that they were unable to obtain interpreter services for the patient's mother's native language, and they just used Spanish as a substitute. The patient's mother was in an emotional crisis state as we arrived, and the patient was acutely critically ill and with pending respiratory failure. Capella, who had already called language services through our CHOP telephone, had the interpreter on the phone and was ready as we entered the room. We encountered both mother and patient in this state. The mother was crying and yelling in French-Creole that no one was helping her sick child and that she wanted help for her child.

Capella stayed calm, and she was able to get the mother to trust her enough to hand us the child to start interventions to stabilize her. Capella established a trusting, safe environment from that point forward for the patient's mother while leading the clinical care of the patient and treating the patient along with myself as her partner. Capella then asked for social work, or an equivalent type person to immediately come to the bedside since the mother is in an emotional crisis and is sobbing, and will need to explain what is happening through the interpreter language line to the patient so she can be assured we are doing all that is needed to treat her child. Having the ability to remember the mother's well-being while treating an extremely unstable patient and taking action to do so is something that most clinicians would not be able to prioritize. Capella did this with ease and skill, and she was able to help ensure that the mother was finally assured her child was getting appropriate care and was able to trust the staff as well.

Once the patient was stabilized, Capella was able to answer any questions the mother had and identify her needs for her transfer to CHOP. Capella also requested that language services be available at the bedside and social work assistance and explained to the new receiving staff the challenges the patient's mother had endured at the referring hospital. Capella made this mother's well-being and safety as important as the patient's, especially since the patient's mother had no support system here in the United States to be here with her.

Prior to leaving the referring hospital with the child stable, the patient's mother gave Capella the biggest hug. She gave us both a set of hugs once dropped off at CHOP, noting her gratitude. The most wonderful part about this nomination is that at one point in the ambulance during the hour-long transport, the patient's mother spoke to Capella in Spanish, and Capella responded. At that point, with tears in her eyes, the patient's mother smiled and said thank you, and then closed her eyes for a much-needed break. I asked Capella what she had said to the patient's mother, since now she looked calm and could finally relax, and she replied, "I told her you and your baby are safe." 

This is what makes Capella not only on this call, but daily in her interactions with patients and families, such a wonderful, exceptional, caring nurse, and an amazing partner on a transport.