Marcy Whittakerand Carla Walsh

This letter is from Marcy's and Carla's Unit medical director:

I just wanted to send a note of thanks and confidence regarding your recent work in the NICU. Your excellent team work and dedication, and your knowledge of the field, in this instance, of seizures in a neonate, is why I write. You called to alert me that the event was happening, I came as quickly as I could, I was just down the hall, and yet the seizure was already over. In that instance, my belief in your observation skill had to be complete because we took a child who was minutes from going home, all the way back to reevaluation and treatment. The patient’s mother questioned me on this several times and yet my belief in your skill made it easy for me to lay out a significant diagnostic and treatment plan to her.

As you probably know by now, this patient had several more seizures that night, and one significant seizure at 2 in the morning that dropped the heart rate and saturations. One can only guess at what the outcome at home might have been.  Her parents would have been frightened or worse of her.  Testing is still negative but the point remains, she has a seizure disorder, and your nursing skills made it easy to change plans and establish a new diagnosis and treatment plan.

While on the surface, this may seem trivial to many, it is actually the profound basis of excellence in medical care, in our unit and everywhere. It is not trivial, it is extremely important. Work such as ours can only be done well in the context of excellent teamwork.

Thank you for your excellent contribution, in this (and the many daily instances) on our unit.

Sincerely, and with gratitude,

Mark Edwards, MD

Medical Director