Tania is the type of nurse who gives her all when she is working a shift. She is constantly seeking to provide the safest and most compassionate care that she can possibly provide. I worked with her recently and was witness to one of the many times that her persistence, attention to detail, and desire for safe care stood out.
Tania took care of a patient and was closely monitoring him, communicating with the provider regarding changes. That afternoon, she noticed a change to the patient's stool that caused concern and prompted her to seek the provider. She applied her nursing assessment skills to notice subtle changes. Even with a hectic time between doctors switching off, she persisted and found a provider to come assess the child due to her concern. Even though the patient's previous symptoms during the day could easily be attributed to his known diagnosis, she still closely watched and was able to notice the change. Due to her good nursing instinct and commitment to patient care, she was able to identify a potentially life-threatening condition in her patient. Her persistence with the provider brought the patient's status change to her attention and the provider was able to order applicable tests. These tests led to a necessary surgery for the patient that prevented further harm had the changes gone unnoticed.
Her attention and commitment to patient care saved this patient like so many who she has taken care of before. Obviously being the fantastic nurse she is, she evaluated herself and wished she would have acted sooner but in my eyes, she is a hero and because of her actions, a patient was able to receive the necessary interventions to save his life. If she had not acted on her concern, this story could have ended much differently and resulted in a much worse outcome for the child.
Note: This is Tania's 2nd DAISY Award!