Allyson Torres
January 2024
Allyson
Torres
,
BSN, RN
Cardiac Care Unit
Dell Children's Medical Center
Austin
,
TX
United States

 

 

 

Allyson sat with the patient's mother for over an hour, learning and communicating at their level and in their language.
Allyson is the best in nursing. This particular situation highlights her insights, cultural awareness and sensibility, and her fluency in Spanish. She was called into a room to assist in explaining a procedure to a Spanish-speaking family with a days-old neonate. This baby was diagnosed with a fatal condition, from which two other siblings of hers had died. The family was approached by one of the specialty teams about a medication that would not cure her condition but had the potential to relieve symptoms for an unknown period of time. Allyson was asked to speak to the family about consenting to the placement of a long-term central line. As Allyson discussed the plans with the family, she sensed that they did not have a full understanding of the offered treatment or its limitations. She sat with the patient's mother for over an hour, learning and communicating at their level and in their language. This provided a more comprehensive discussion than the team conveyed through video interpretation. Allyson was able to interpret much more than the verbal language, and at the conclusion of their discussion and consultation with the provider, the family chose not to pursue the temporary intervention. They chose to allow their child to die in comfort and stated that any further intervention since it would not be a cure for her condition, would cause additional suffering. Because Allyson was able to reach the family in a completely different way, demonstrating the art of nursing and a shared language and culture, they were able to make an informed decision with a much more complete understanding of the implications of any additional procedures.