Bert Zepeda has been a Staff Nurse in the Inpatient Mental Health Unit since 2013. He started as a VALOR student and eventually became a Staff Nurse. Last summer, Veteran G was admitted to the unit. The veteran is extremely agitated and irritable. He was constantly yelling and difficult to redirect. He refused to talk to anyone, including NPOD. At around 1700, Veteran G walked to the dining room to eat dinner. Like everyone else in the room, he started eating his dinner tray. Moments later, Mr. G started choking and turned “dusky” in color.

The staff member present rushed and attempted to go behind the patient and perform the Heimlich maneuver, but they were unsuccessful in clearing the blockage. There was a loud commotion that was heard from the nursing station. Several nurses ran to the dining room and found Mr. G looking pale and bluish. Bert rushed towards the veteran and immediately went behind him and performed the Heimlich Maneuver. On the third and fourth thrust, the veteran finally expelled a chunk of food. The veteran’s color returned to normal, and breathing normally. The patient began breathing normally without distress after the incident. He was inconsolable, having thought he was going to die after the first nurse was unable to clear the blockage.

Bert’s quick thinking and rush to action ultimately saved the veteran. He exemplified the organization ICARE values in which his primary goal was to work diligently to serve our Veterans and to focus on their needs, in this situation saving someone’s life.