March 2016
Charlene
Fogt
,
RN
OR
St. Francis Hospital
Columbus
,
GA
United States
A patient had a craniotomy for a rare brain disorder called Moya Moya. He had just undergone a tonsillectomy a few weeks earlier and while in the hospital a CT showed a lesion on his brain. He has Down's Syndrome and the family made the decision to do the surgery. They didn't tell him he was having surgery again because they didn't want to stress him. They told him he was just having some tests. In the pre-op room he was greeted by the OR nurse Charlene. She let him know she really cared about him and would do all she could to keep him comfortable during the procedure. She also promised to be with him during the surgery. During the procedure, she would call out to the waiting room and give status reports to the family. Charlene had come in to work extra for OR that day. Not only was it her day off, it was also her husband's birthday. She was relieved by another nurse during the surgery and left to go home. About an hour later, Charlene returned to the hospital and the case so she could keep her promise to him to be there when he awoke in the PACU. She stayed with him until his parents could be with him. Nurses go the extra mile every day, but Charlene's compassion and care to this patient was exceptional and deserves recognition.