We had a pre-op patient coming in for an Upper GI under anesthesia who had extremely aggressive behavior. The patient was so extremely autistic and aggressive that he would self-mutilate which included biting and scratching himself, banging his head on the wall and banging his own knees on his head. The day of his procedure he presented with a black eye that was swollen shut and a large swollen area on the top of his head. With concern for these injuries, Ashley swung into action; keep in mind this was 6:30 in the morning. She called the attending physician who ordered the test. This physician wanted her to send the patient to the ED but Ashley spoke up and said he would be better served to stay in OPS and all that she needed from the physician was an order for a consult. Ashley called the ED to make sure she was OK doing things this way and they were happy to have her take care of the patient because of their high volumes. Ashley's compassion for the parents and their difficult son was outstanding and evident.
Ashley called the ophthalmology resident who suggested she contact maxillofacial trauma. She, then, called the plastic surgeon who gave the order for a CT scan of facial bones and head. The CT department was excellent and worked him in. The anesthesia department was completely on board with the plan of care.
The patient's parents were especially grateful to have this attention given to their son. They have struggled getting care for him due to his aggressive behavior. The CT scans were negative which meant no fractures or abnormalities were noted and the patient was then discharged home. The UGI did not get done since it really wasn't warranted but the patient received the care that was necessary because of Ashley.
Ashley lives the values of Palmetto Health in our department and in her personal life every day. She always puts the needs of others first, starting with our patients. When I say she never stops working, I mean it. She gets a tremendous amount of recognition from her co-workers, physicians, and patients. If she is not helping get a patient ready for the OR or cleaning up a patient room then she is working on the assignment for the next day. I can count on Ashley to bring solutions when she identifies where there are opportunities to improve; many of these have been implemented. She is fun, funny and ready to pull a prank on a friend. She makes working in the adult area of a very busy Outpatient Surgery department fun.
I am grateful to work alongside this wonderful person who is selfless and genuine. She brings care, compassion, kindness, excellence and especially integrity to her work. She is the real deal!
Thank you, Ashley, for being the nurse who gives from the heart, the charge nurse who keeps the calm and the person who loves without condition.