Megan cared for a patient who had multiple chronic health problems, one being PTSD. The patient was in Desert Storm and wound up in a hole with his 2 buddies laying on top of him after they had stepped on IEDs. His friends were dead on top of him and he had to remain calm and try to keep himself alive. Since then he has had Claustrophobia. He also cannot stand the sound of the MRI machines because it takes him back to the sounds of gunfire and IEDs going off.
The patient asked to speak to me about two of the staff members (Megan and a PCA) who really went the extra mile to listen to him, comfort him, and assist him in undergoing the MRI by offering things for him to focus on and think about to get his mind off it. He said if it weren't for them he would have never gotten through it.
Megan is positive, encouraging, outgoing, kind, and caring. He said she is one of the best nurses he has ever met. She developed a connection with him and continued to check on him and say hello even when she wasn't assigned as his primary caregiver. She made him feel important and well cared for.
Megan has this impact on her patients!