Jason often helps others during heightened and stressful times in the emergency department. No matter the critical events, he finds time to share his experience and knowledge with other team members. Today, it was my turn.

I received an emergent critical patient with an accelerated heart rhythm. I got the patient into the room and placed them on the cardiac monitor. I was informed that we were going to cardiovert the patient. Honestly, I have never ever been the primary nurse for a patient who has been cardioverted. I was anxious and worried about the setup and my participation. I looked out the doorway and saw Jason walking by. I told him what I had going on and asked him for help. He did not hesitate.

He did not hesitate to reassure me that I was able to competently care for this patient. He came into the room and talked to me as a team member (saving me from looking lost and unprepared in the eyes of my patient). He spoke to me, and we discussed the steps and process of cardioversion. The Zoll defibrillator, also new to our department, presented challenges as I had not used it for cardioversion. That is no problem. My nominee just talked and explained how it was used, and I was able to participate and be part of the team. Our patient was cardioverted and made a recovery.

Jason helps anyone in need. His willingness to take time to educate, explain, and share his knowledge and expertise makes our nurses better prepared for our shift(s). I know that on this day, he was my mentor, and yet, to everyone in the room, he was just another team member. He leveled me up to my patient and valued my voice and feelings by giving me the support I needed to move beyond my anxiety and own concerns. I hope he knows the value that he brings daily to our team, especially to me, with his willingness to team build, share experiences, and tell me that I can accomplish things that I believe I can’t. I now know that I can.

Thank you, Jason Fuqua, RN, for everything that you do to help me be a good nurse.