Jennifer Archambault
January 2023
Jennifer
Archambault
,
BSN, RN
Emergency Department
Banner Desert Medical Center
Mesa
,
AZ
United States

 

 

 

Jennifer never faltered or stopped advocating
I am also a nurse, and my assignment was right next to Jennifer’s for an entire shift. I watched and listened as Jennifer cared and advocated for her patient who was having consistent unexplained hypertension. This patient came in for abnormal kidney values, abdominal pain, and nausea, but even after numerous tests, there were no answers as to why the patient was critically hypotensive. Jennifer made sure that all BP measurements were accurate and to document them along with calling the doctors, even when they were not returning calls. Because the patient’s only symptom of low BP was headache and dizziness, the providers were not moving on it quickly. She did not give up on reaching out and followed the chain of command to ensure actions to improve the patient’s condition were taken. Finally, after 8.5 hours, her efforts paid off and the patient was given IV pressors and an ICU bed. She managed to do all this while keeping her patient safe and informed and being an attentive preceptor to her mentee. This kind of situation could make a more timed nurse give up and allow for a harmful event to reach the patient. But Jennifer never faltered or stopped advocating, even when facing a lot of pushback. Jennifer sets an incredible example of what an ED nurse or any nurse should strive to be.