Last year I received a very unexpected text from a very dear friend. Janna had just gone through an amazing experience, one that was both emotionally powerful and physically draining. That day, what she had anticipated to be a routine work out at the gym turned out to be anything but!
Upon reading the text Janna sent me, I immediately called her. She shared her experience of the previous few hours, an abbreviated version which I will share here.
Normally, Janna's time at the gym includes riding a stationary bike in the back row with ear plugs in. That day was different, it was a bike in the front without her ear plugs. Very much out of the ordinary, yet there was a reason.
While pedaling, Janna witnessed an older male gym member collapse nearby and heard someone shout. Had it been a routine day in the gym for her, neither would have been immediately evident. She jumped off the bike, ran to the man lying unconscious on the floor, and immediately her BLS training and leadership skills kicked in.
No pulse. No respirations. Thankfully another woman joined her, who happened to be a respiratory therapist. A perfect team! She shouted for an AED and began CPR.
Within a minute, a gym employee placed the AED on the floor next to the man. Janna and her CPR partner stopped delivering chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breaths without a mask. The AED was attached and quickly the voice said: "shock advised" and then "shock delivered". CPR was resumed.
Later Janna texted: "CPR and the AED brought him back around! We were working like crazy and when rescue arrived he was awake and breathing."After a brief assessment, the man was placed in the ambulance and immediately transported to Maine Medical Center.
Soon after, Janna was complimented by another gym member, who is an American Red Cross CPR instructor. He had observed the compressions and rescue breathing being performed perfectly, and clearly effectively!
The following morning, I was working in the Holding Room. My first patient of the day arrived, scheduled for open heart surgery. While going through my usual pre-op assessment, I asked the patient if he was having any chest discomfort or shortness of breath. He said his chest felt sore. I asked him if it was his usual chest discomfort. "No," he replied. "It's from them doing CPR on me yesterday."
Janna's experience came immediately to mind. "Really?! Where did that happen?" I asked. When he told me the name of the gym, I said "I think my friend was the one who performed CPR on you!"
He was amazed, commenting "She literally saved my life!" He said his only recollection of the incident was waking up in the ambulance on the way to MMC.
We shared a wonderful 10 minutes before the anesthesiologist took him through the doors to the OR, both in awe that we had happened to connect. I told him that Janna was not only a good friend, but that I also worked with her and that she was scheduled to arrive for work after his surgery start time. He made me promise that Janna would visit him in the next few days so he could meet her and thank her.
The patient had told me a bit about himself. He shared that he and his wife were still very much in love, and had recently moved from the west coast to Maine. The move enabled them live near their numerous children and grandchildren. "And that's exactly what I plan to do, thanks to Janna. It just wasn't my time yet!" he said.
I saw Janna when she arrived to work, shared my story and my patient's request. We were amazed at how the pieces had fallen into place: me knowing what had occurred at the gym, that I happened to be scheduled in the Holding Room when he was on his way to the OR, and that she happened to be working that day. We decided it was meant to be.
After several days of healing from the surgery, the patient was transferred out of CTICU to a room. Janna visited him at that point and met his wife. Their meeting was such a rare gift. Not only did it give them the opportunity to meet and share their mutual experience, but it enabled the patient and his wife to express their gratitude, and Janna to see the positive results of her skills, knowledge, and leadership.
Last month I was able to talk with the patient about my plan to nominate Janna for the DAISY Award. I explained that this national award honors nurses who may perceive their nursing practice to be ordinary, yet others know it to be truly extraordinary. I told him the award recognizes not only a nurse's outstanding clinical skills, but also the special acts of kindness and compassion provided to patients and their families.
I shared with him my belief that Janna is very deserving of this award, and that I am fortunate to witness her extraordinary nursing practice and leadership every day I work with her. I believe his unique situation has provided the perfect opportunity to honor her.
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Though I have no recollection of those first few moments when I passed out doing some reps at the gym, I will always be grateful for the quick response of Janna. I was told without hesitation, she jumped off her work out machine and immediately administered CPR. It was long and strenuous by the time another gym member applied the defibrillator. I am not a believer in coincidence and therefore I know God had these people in place for my benefit. I am very glad that they cooperated with His plan! Janna told me later that she had not planned to work out that day, and when she does work out she uses machines further back in the gym.
I am privileged to know Janna, her training and dedication has allowed me to continue living and loving my wife, three children, and sixteen grandchildren!
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As the cardiac surgeon who operated on this patient, I learned firsthand of Janna's quick action and heroic effort which saved his life. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to work alongside a talented clinician such as Janna, whose selfless dedication to her profession, and most importantly to her patients, is so very evident. I am honored to call her a colleague.
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This extraordinary situation exhibits only a few of Janna's many attributes which her peers greatly admire and value, both in the patient care she provides and her leadership role in ASU. Her competence as a professional, her willingness to step up and do the right thing, and her compassion for others were clearly highlighted that day.
I believe Janna's leadership and knowledge not only saved a life, but those qualities and others make her worthy of the DAISY Award.