Teri Kuzma scheduled a patient in allergy clinic to receive a vaccination that the patient could only receive at the health department. This patient is total care and difficult to transport, also their immune system is fragile. The patient arrived in the allergy clinic and Teri noticed a low oxygen saturation and pale color. She increased the oxygen and called me into the pulmonary clinic.
The clinic was closed that day, but I offered to meet her down in the clinic and see how we could help. I suctioned the patient without much improvement. The oxygen saturation remained low. The patient's dad was hesitant to believe the patient was sick. I asked Teri to step aside and huddle about the patient. I advised that the patient should be evaluated in the ED and Teri agreed, but had to go back up to the allergy clinic to confer with the doctor. The patient was admitted to PICU from ED.
Teri's assessment skills were on point and she went above and beyond to advocate for the sick patient. She truly is a top-notch nurse.