adrien gardner, RN

Adrien is an ICU nurse who floats out to medical-surgical units when needed. She cared for a post-op total knee replacement patient who was preparing to be sent to a swing bed for short term rehab. The patient's daughter had reported that she was concerned because her father was sleeping more than normal, but neither the nurses or physician were concerned. When Adrien assumed care of the patient, she realized something was wrong and based on her assessment, believed that the patient was having a stroke. She contacted the physician and transferred the patient to the ICU for additional testing and treatment. He did have a stroke, but thanks to Adrien's intervention, was transferred to the swing bed and then ultimately home for recovery to his baseline. His family described Adrien as an "angel who listened to their concerns and treated their family with compassion."