Carol Ann Anderson
April 2019
Carol Ann
Anderson
,
BSN, RN, PCCN
Interventional Recovery Unit
Salem Health
Salem
,
OR
United States
With over 20 years in nursing, Carol Ann is a great resource for staff. She has wonderful time management, is the queen of IVs, and has quickly learned the procedures in IRU. This last year, Carol Ann challenged herself and obtained her PCCN certification. Carol Ann has a knack for connecting with her patients. She uses humor to help put patients at ease while waiting for their procedure. When making discharge calls, patients regularly mention and thank her by name.
Last week, I witnessed Carol Ann's commitment to providing the best care for her patient. I walked on the unit to hear her empathetically explaining to a patient that, while he probably hoped to come in and leave quickly after his liver biopsy, she was very concerned about his breathing and wanted to get some consults to see what could be done to help him. The patient had been having problems with SOG and SpO2 in the 80% over the past month. Even after being placed on oxygen, the patient's oxygen level dropped without any activity. Over the next 5 hours, I had the pleasure of watching Carol Ann advocate for her patient. Her goal was to either find a way to get the patient set up with oxygen at home, or get him admitted in order to provide him with the care he needed. Carol Ann connected with the Interventional Radiologist in charge of the patient's procedure, respiratory therapy, care management, the patient's pulmonologist, the pulmonologist's partner who was at the hospital, and the hospitalist. She obtained information from his recent procedure at a hospital in Nevada. Ultimately, the patient was admitted to the hospital. The patient and his wife were so thankful for her efforts and to be receiving the help he needed. Carol Ann told me she felt like she made a difference for them. I believe it is only one example of the service she provides every day.
Carol Ann is committed to providing excellent care, participates in improvement projects on the unit, and works to learn new skills. Carol Ann is a supportive teammate. She is able to connect with all the members of the team be they CNAs, anesthesiologists, physicians, or transporters. She truly makes a difference every day.
Last week, I witnessed Carol Ann's commitment to providing the best care for her patient. I walked on the unit to hear her empathetically explaining to a patient that, while he probably hoped to come in and leave quickly after his liver biopsy, she was very concerned about his breathing and wanted to get some consults to see what could be done to help him. The patient had been having problems with SOG and SpO2 in the 80% over the past month. Even after being placed on oxygen, the patient's oxygen level dropped without any activity. Over the next 5 hours, I had the pleasure of watching Carol Ann advocate for her patient. Her goal was to either find a way to get the patient set up with oxygen at home, or get him admitted in order to provide him with the care he needed. Carol Ann connected with the Interventional Radiologist in charge of the patient's procedure, respiratory therapy, care management, the patient's pulmonologist, the pulmonologist's partner who was at the hospital, and the hospitalist. She obtained information from his recent procedure at a hospital in Nevada. Ultimately, the patient was admitted to the hospital. The patient and his wife were so thankful for her efforts and to be receiving the help he needed. Carol Ann told me she felt like she made a difference for them. I believe it is only one example of the service she provides every day.
Carol Ann is committed to providing excellent care, participates in improvement projects on the unit, and works to learn new skills. Carol Ann is a supportive teammate. She is able to connect with all the members of the team be they CNAs, anesthesiologists, physicians, or transporters. She truly makes a difference every day.