Caitlin and I routinely work very closely together, both being night shift clinical leaders on H9A. On the night of Friday, we were both scheduled work- a rare occasion since we tend to not work bedside shifts together. I was scheduled in charge and Caitlin was working as a staff RN. I had not been feeling good for a few days and had just found out I was pregnant. I attributed my not feeling well to morning sickness and was doing the best I could to make it through my shift.
As soon as Caitlin saw me walk in that night, she immediately offered to be in charge and send me home. I said I wanted to try and make it as long as I could. Caitlin watched me closely for the first hour or so of our shift. She knew I needed to get medical attention. She refused to accept my attempts at brushing her off, because that's what good nurses do. Her intuition and experience told her something was wrong, and she wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
After 2 hours of watching me struggle, Caitlin came to me and said something to the effect of "leave". She not only knew something was wrong, but she was also adamant that I go to the ED that night. She walked me out to my car in the L-garage. Our Program Manager followed me all the way from the main campus to my home to make sure I made it okay.
I did go to the ED that night; I was diagnosed with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and had emergency surgery at 4:30 am. It's terrifying to think what could have happened if Caitlin had not been so adamant about me leaving and seeking medical attention for myself. Her critical thinking impacted this coworker in a life-saving manner. I will always be thankful for her fast thinking, leadership, willingness to step up, compassion, and generally caring manner that night. As pediatric nurses, we don't often come to work expecting to care for our adult coworkers. But I am so thankful that Caitlin took the time to care for me that night and use her nursing skills to ensure I received the medical attention I needed.