You don't need a glaring problem to know that a patient having chest pain, shortness of breath and varying heart rates may need critical care. With a strong cardiac history in the patient's family, Alisha knew it was important to advocate for her patient despite the fact that her EKG report appeared to be normal.
The patient was having some bradycardia, with varying heart rates, and was feeling nauseous. An EKG was obtained but didn't show any problem at that time. Under these circumstances, patients are to wait to be seen the next morning and then scheduled later for a heart catheterization, as the EKG didn't show acute changes.
Being in the hands of Alisha's care, patients can rest easy knowing they will have her on their side advocating for the best care possible.
Through Alisha's experience and following her gut, she continued to advocate for the patient to be seen emergently and spoke with the cardiologist on call to express her concerns. The scenario progressed, the patient went to the Cath Lab and received two stents to one of her coronary arteries. I truly believe that acting as the patient's advocate made a true difference in the outcome.