Amutha Narayanaswamy, BSN, RN

A critical patient was transferred to our facility for Extracorporeal Life Support (ECMO) from another hospital. While in the emergency room, this patient was placed on ECMO for an overdose of calcium channel blockers. This patient and her husband are from a different country and relocated here for the husband's work approximately 1 year ago, and they have two small children. Since moving to the United States, the family has had limited support. The patient had become depressed after relocating, overwhelmed with limited social/cultural support. While living in her country, she was surrounded by a large number of family members for support. She felt socially isolated after relocating to the United States. The family's primary language is Telugu, with the wife understanding some English. Once the patient arrived at the emergency room, she was intubated and sedated while on ECMO. On the day of the event, the husband was at work when he was informed of his wife's condition. He had a difficult time understanding what had happened to his wife and the severe shock her body was in. The Critical Care ECMO physician was trying to communicate and explain why she was placed on ECMO. Due to the language barrier, the husband became very upset and wanted her to come back home and care for the children. He did not understand why she needed to stay in the hospital or how sick she had become. The physician asked Amutha, an RN ECMO Specialist here at Kennestone, to assist in the discussion, for she did speak Telugu. This was not her assignment on that day, but she stopped to assist with communication, as well as reassuring the husband that his wife would be OK. He was in shock, not understanding what was happening to his wife or why this happened. She accompanied him to his wife's bedside to educate him about her illness and the equipment she was on.
From that moment on, Amutha became the family's lifeline during the hospitalization. The couple had very few friends, but Amutha reached out to them to help take care of his children so he could be at the hospital and support his wife. Amutha continued to follow up daily with the patient, her husband, and the friends who were caring for their children. She became the point person to inform them of what was happening every day, as well as educating them about ECMO therapy, alleviating their fears. Amutha's profound empathy, dedication in acting as a medical professional, as well as providing emotional and spiritual support, eased the husband’s distress. This became very evident, fostering trust through Amutha's shared kindness and dignity during the vulnerable moments of this family's tragic event. After coming off ECMO, the patient was transferred back to the prior hospital that she came from. Amutha continues to ensure they feel comfortable, safe, and valued throughout their healing journey. She has gone to visit them frequently at the other Wellstar hospital, checking in and relaying information to her sisters in her home country. For these reasons, I would like to nominate Amutha for the DAISY Award. She is a nurse who displays compassionate, patient-centered care and goes above and beyond, making a significant impact on families' lives.