April 2022
Amy
Archbold
,
RN
OB/Maternity Department
Lutheran Health Network - Bluffton Regional Medical Center
Bluffton
,
IN
United States
Each intervention Amy performed was met with resistance and anger from a patient who did not want to receive care. Amy continued to work to protect the patient and the baby she was carrying.
A patient was admitted to BRMC Women’s Center after she was transported from a correctional facility. The patient was taken into the correctional facility 12 hours before she arrived at BRMC. This patient arrived accompanied by two officers from the facility. Amy Archbold was the admitting nurse for this patient. The patient, while having been incarcerated for over 12 hours, still remained under the influence of a mind-altering substance. The patient was extremely agitated and was both verbally belligerent and physically hostile. She was enraged by the fact she was accompanied by the correction officers. Amy assessed the patient and began to care for her explaining the tasks she was performing. This was an incredibly difficult task as the patient was fully shackled to the bed and was struggling against her restraints. Through it all, Amy was able to recognize the fetal heart tones were non-reassuring and notified the doctor of the patient's status. Each intervention Amy performed was met with resistance and anger from a patient who did not want to receive care. Amy continued to work to protect the patient and the baby she was carrying. When the patient pulled out her I.V., Amy proceeded to educate her on the need to insert another IV. When it was determined the safest thing for the baby was to complete a C-Section, Amy work with those around her to obtain consent and prepare the patient for surgery. What was so outstanding about the care Amy gave? She did it all and never appeared that the situation made her sweat. She was running a marathon with this patient. At no time while she cared for her did she get a chance to breathe. The environment was complete stress. The patient was yelling and swearing, the officers were yelling and swearing, and the surgeon was yelling. In the center of it all was the appearance of a nurse caring for her patient and making sure her patient was as safe as she could help her to be. Amy was the role model of what nurses truly are, the patient advocate. Thank you, Amy.