Since starting at MedStar St. Mary's, Sydney has always taken advantage of opportunities to grow her skills. She has quickly become a great resource and emerging leader in our department. When the census was recently low in the ICC, our department reached out to see if nurses could assist elsewhere. A staffing need was identified in the Emergency Department (ED), and Sydney quickly volunteered to be cross-trained. She maintains a positive attitude and is committed to ensuring our patients all receive excellent care.
Another example of her commitment occurred last fall. An ICC patient admitted on a milrinone drop became hemodynamically unstable during the night. When his condition did not improve, she continuously communicated her concerns to the attending physician. Sydney was uncomfortable with the responses she was getting, as the patient's condition was actually worsening. She advocated for him, escalating her concerns to her charge nurse and the nocturnist, who agreed with Sydney. The nocturnist made changes to the patient's medications and ordered the insertion of a central line. The patient soon stabilized and did not experience any further complications.
When leader rounds were completed the next morning, the patient expressed his gratitude to Sydney for not only providing him with excellent clinical care but for her compassion. He said he was aware of what was happening and was scared. At one point, he asked if he could call his family as he was afraid he was going to die. The patient stated Sydney remained calm and comforted him throughout the night. She spent meaningful time with him so he was not alone. He continued to express his gratitude for Sydney throughout the rest of his stay, prior to being discharged home.