August 2024
Amelia
Vaitekunas
,
BSN, RN, CMSRN
PK1
Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital
Cleveland
,
OH
United States
The patient recovered in the ICU, where, each day, she emphasized the comfort and care Amelia gave her.
Amelia Vaitekunas went above and beyond to save a patient's legs from limb ischemia. She was caring for a patient overnight who had undergone uterine cancer surgery and complained of leg pain. She astutely monitored how the patient's symptoms did not improve despite conservative measures. When the pain worsened, she noted how she could not find a pulse in the left leg. After attempting to contact the primary team, she contacted the surgery team directly for assistance. Thanks to her efforts and keen intuition that something was wrong, we were able to quickly diagnose a significant arterial occlusion in both of the patient's legs and promptly take her to the OR that morning. The patient recovered in the ICU, where, each day, she emphasized the comfort and care Amelia gave her. She couldn't thank her directly, so I want to ensure Amelia is recognized. I have no doubt that Amelia's outstanding care and selfless actions saved the patient from significant morbidity. I truly hope Amelia gets the recognition she deserves!