Marina is a special and extraordinary nurse. She truly gives excellent care to each and every patient she touches. Marina was caring for a patient that had been admitted with a history of a spinal fusion. Her recovery was complicated by an infection. This patient was admitted from home due to the infection and high fevers. The patient was started on an IV antibiotic.
During this hospitalization, the patient began to experience new-onset visual hallucinations and confusion. The patient had been on the unit experiencing these symptoms for 4 days when Marina was assigned to care for them. The patient had many consults on his case including neurology. The medical team had been making every effort to figure out what was going on with this patient. The medical team changed the patient's medications, however, the patient continued to have hallucinations. Everyone was stumped!
Marina noticed that her patient's hallucinations and confusion started after the IV antibiotic infusion. Marina's nursing experience and judgment made her question the IV medication and research the side effects. Marina notified the attending physician of her observations. The IV antibiotic infusion was stopped, and the patient returned to baseline. The patient's symptoms resolved, and the patient recovered. Marina always goes above and beyond to meet the emotional needs of her patients. In this case, Marina was the catalyst for getting this patient on the road to recovery.