Bernice Nelson
May 2021
Bernice
Nelson
,
BSN RN
Cancer Center / 2 Shorb
Methodist University Hospital
I know the team in the Pediatric ICU, as well as this young man’s family, are FOREVER grateful for this act of kindness and professionalism.
A 13-year-old patient was admitted to the PIC at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital with a severely high white blood count (WBC) due to a new diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient's cell count was over 800 and the patient had suffered a stroke with cerebral edema from such a high count. The patient's life was in significant danger due to the high volume of cells and the swelling of his brain secondary to that.
The patient was not a candidate for transfer to St. Jude because he was medically unstable. Upon admission, the PICU physician team asked about the possibility of performing leukapheresis to reduce the patient's WBC. While Le Bonheur could perform plasma and red cell exchanges, we cannot perform white cell depletion. It was just before the patient's arrival when I reached out to the Le Bonheur CNO to ask if there was a resource in the system to help this patient. This was when Sheila Hill Jordan became involved.
Sheila and I spoke overnight and I explained to her that we needed to coordinate equipment, supplies, and personnel to perform the treatment at Le Bonheur. Sheila and I determined that members of her team would provide the treatment while the LeBonheur staff would care for the patient. The following two days, Sheila and Bernice came over from Methodist University Hospital to perform two white cell depletion treatments. They were so gracious and compassionate in their care. They educated members of the LeBonheur Extracorporeal Therapies Service line on the treatment. They offered emotional support to the family at the bedside. They bonded with the parents and were hugging everyone by the time they left.
These associates exemplified what it means to go above and beyond to get a patient what they need to survive! Their willingness to be innovative and team-oriented demonstrated their belief in the MLH's core values. They made a difference in this patient's outcome. If they had not been willing to come and be partners in care, this patient would have succumbed to such an overwhelming white blood cell count and his family would have lost their son.
I am pleased to report this patient has made significant progress since Sheila and Bernice came to provide this treatment. This would not have been possible without the commitment and collaboration that Sheila and Bernice exhibited. I know the team in the PICU (Pediatric ICU), as well as this young man’s family, are FOREVER grateful for this act of kindness and professionalism.
The patient was not a candidate for transfer to St. Jude because he was medically unstable. Upon admission, the PICU physician team asked about the possibility of performing leukapheresis to reduce the patient's WBC. While Le Bonheur could perform plasma and red cell exchanges, we cannot perform white cell depletion. It was just before the patient's arrival when I reached out to the Le Bonheur CNO to ask if there was a resource in the system to help this patient. This was when Sheila Hill Jordan became involved.
Sheila and I spoke overnight and I explained to her that we needed to coordinate equipment, supplies, and personnel to perform the treatment at Le Bonheur. Sheila and I determined that members of her team would provide the treatment while the LeBonheur staff would care for the patient. The following two days, Sheila and Bernice came over from Methodist University Hospital to perform two white cell depletion treatments. They were so gracious and compassionate in their care. They educated members of the LeBonheur Extracorporeal Therapies Service line on the treatment. They offered emotional support to the family at the bedside. They bonded with the parents and were hugging everyone by the time they left.
These associates exemplified what it means to go above and beyond to get a patient what they need to survive! Their willingness to be innovative and team-oriented demonstrated their belief in the MLH's core values. They made a difference in this patient's outcome. If they had not been willing to come and be partners in care, this patient would have succumbed to such an overwhelming white blood cell count and his family would have lost their son.
I am pleased to report this patient has made significant progress since Sheila and Bernice came to provide this treatment. This would not have been possible without the commitment and collaboration that Sheila and Bernice exhibited. I know the team in the PICU (Pediatric ICU), as well as this young man’s family, are FOREVER grateful for this act of kindness and professionalism.