It was a normal day in Day Surgery. A patient came in for a routine knee replacement, but Amy Gollhofer was quick to pick up on something not being right with the patient. She assessed the patient, questioned the family of the patient, and took the patient to the ER. The patient was having a stroke and Amy provided the exact care the patient needed. The patient was treated in ER with a clot busting medication and recovered to her normal self within 24 hours. Amy's quick judgment prevented the patient from having lasting effects from the stroke.
A different time, Amy received a report on a cath patient and everything seemed ok- 1 hour into the recovery Amy noticed the patient's blood pressure was dropping, no obvious bleed from the insertion site, but her excellent nursing judgment told her that something was not right. The patients BP continued to drop. Amy called the cath lab staff over and a possible retroperitoneal bleed was most likely the issue. The patient's condition continued to decline. The patient was almost to the point of calling a code, but the patient's Doctor, the cath lab staff, and Amy worked diligently on the patient for over two hours and stabilized the patient to where she could be transferred for further care.
Amy handled this situation in a manner that represents amazing nurses. The family at the time of transfer was very appreciative of Amy and how she updated them what was going on and the care she gave their loved one.