Blair Smith
June 2020
Blair
Smith
,
RN, BSN
Community Based Outpatient Clinic
Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Minneapolis
,
MN
United States
A 29-year-old female Veteran who has been a Hibbing MH patient for several years was missing. Her boyfriend, the father of their 4 year old son called the Clinic this morning, worried. She had left their home at 3 pm Thursday and had not returned. He believed she was suicidal. Indeed, she had been previously on the High-Risk list and had an intermittent history of suicidal ideation. She was being followed weekly by the MH team. The boyfriend said she was not answering her cell phone. He had reached out to other friends and family but could not find her. When Blair tried to call her cell, it went right to voicemail. Blair contacted the Police and also tried calling others listed on the patient's safety plan. But no one had heard from her.
At about 9:30 this morning the Veteran called the Clinic. She had been driving and saw a phone call come in from an unknown number. She thought it might be the Clinic and thinking it might either be Blair or her therapist, she decided to answer the phone. Instead, it was the Police, so she hung up. But it made her realize that Blair and Henry were people she was willing to talk to. So told Blair that they were the only ones she trusted or believed cared about her right now. She told Blair she was driving towards the Twin Cities, but she would not reveal where she was, and she had turned off the phone location tracking on her phone knowing that the Police might be looking for her. Blair was able to keep her on the phone for 1.5-2 hours. Meanwhile, she was skyping and texting the therapist, psychiatrist, and suicide prevention. The Veteran revealed that she had been planning suicide and had a detailed plan. She had gone to visit a relative's gravesite in Wisconsin at some point since she had left the Hibbing area. She would not tell Blair where she was headed now. Gradually Blair was able to get her to agree to drive to the Minneapolis ED. Talking about her relationship with her son was key. She got assistance to get things lined up in the ED. She kept the Veteran on the phone until she heard the ED nurse greet her and take over her care. The last Blair heard the Veteran was in the process of being hospitalized. Blair saved this Veteran's life and she is now receiving inpatient care.
At about 9:30 this morning the Veteran called the Clinic. She had been driving and saw a phone call come in from an unknown number. She thought it might be the Clinic and thinking it might either be Blair or her therapist, she decided to answer the phone. Instead, it was the Police, so she hung up. But it made her realize that Blair and Henry were people she was willing to talk to. So told Blair that they were the only ones she trusted or believed cared about her right now. She told Blair she was driving towards the Twin Cities, but she would not reveal where she was, and she had turned off the phone location tracking on her phone knowing that the Police might be looking for her. Blair was able to keep her on the phone for 1.5-2 hours. Meanwhile, she was skyping and texting the therapist, psychiatrist, and suicide prevention. The Veteran revealed that she had been planning suicide and had a detailed plan. She had gone to visit a relative's gravesite in Wisconsin at some point since she had left the Hibbing area. She would not tell Blair where she was headed now. Gradually Blair was able to get her to agree to drive to the Minneapolis ED. Talking about her relationship with her son was key. She got assistance to get things lined up in the ED. She kept the Veteran on the phone until she heard the ED nurse greet her and take over her care. The last Blair heard the Veteran was in the process of being hospitalized. Blair saved this Veteran's life and she is now receiving inpatient care.