We had a patient who was admitted to the hospital from out of state. As I was sitting with the patient, he began to share his story about his service dog that helps him maintain balance. I realized how important this dog was to this patient. I was able to find his cell phone and get some numbers to contact his family and have them call our charge nurse Francine. We found out the social workers (Kim and Brandi) had already made contact with the family and started a process to see how to reunite the patient with his beloved service dog. The patient had been staying in a local hotel with his dog when he became ill and after some phone calls were made, it was discovered the dog had been sent to an animal shelter in downtown Houston. The team was able to contact them and let them know how important it was for the dog to be reunited with his owner. Members of our team contacted the service dog's veterinarian and were able to obtain immunization records to provide to the shelter. Our head of security, manager of volunteer services, and the charge nurse drove to the shelter to pick up the dog and brought him back to his owner in the hospital.
This team embodies The DAISY Award traits by establishing a professional connection and creating a significant memorable experience for the patient. They also delivered executive care with high standards of nursing practice and exhibited consistent collaboration, trustworthiness, and professionalism within each member of the team. This group came together and made a big impact on this patient's life by returning his service dog.