The acuity was very high and one patient was having major behavioral issues. Another patient needed to be admitted. The previous admission had not yet been completed. CIWAs were due. I was on the phone with the physician discussing/getting orders for multiple patients. We had a Veteran with severe burns waiting to transfer to a burn unit. He required an extensive dressing change. There were no ICU or medical beds in the hospital. Rae had previous experience with major dressing changes for patients with burns. The dressing change took 1 ½ hours and 2 people. She then stayed past the 16-hour mark to finish charting. She even went to another unit to gather supplies for the next dressing change that was due in about 5 more hours. She wrote out explicit instructions and gave us tips on how to make the dressing change easier on the patient, as I have never cared for a burn victim. (Thankfully, a Wound Nurse came in early that day and was able to change the dressing.) It was one of those shifts where there were no meal breaks or 15-minute breaks for the RNs. Rae selflessly put the needs of the Veterans above her own. She did not even have time to pump (she is breastfeeding). She went way above and beyond. It was appreciated.
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Rae talks to her patients at length and advocates for them. While admitting a patient for depression, she learned the patient had suffered loss of vision in one of his eyes 3 days before. The Veteran had retinal detachment surgery 2 months before and was so depressed he called no one. It was late in the day, but Rae immediately contacted the physician and insisted he be looked at immediately. It turns out the Veteran needs retinal re-detachment surgery within the next few days. As this facility does not do this surgery, a quick transfer must be arranged. Rae's strong advocacy and caring likely saved this man's vision.