Camila always goes above and beyond for her patients and their families. Camila not only cares for her patients but also the patients of her co-workers too. There have been many times I have used her language expertise to communicate with parents. Tonight, I had to do it again, only this time she had to come to the Emergency Department to help a family when an interpreter was not available.
After several attempts to use the video interpreters and long holds, we were informed that a Portuguese interpreter was not available. The patient came to the ED with abdominal pain and vomiting. The ED team not only needed to register the patient but also needed to communicate with the parents about the diagnostics needed and the concern for appendicitis versus gastroenteritis. We were not able to do this without an interpreter. I knew from working on the surgical unit that Camila's primary language was Portuguese. Even though it was 3 in the morning and Camila had her own patients to care for upstairs, she was still willing to come down help us communicate with this family.
Camila exemplified exceptional care by assisting another unit to ensure that the patient received the best care. Not only was she able to explain to the care team the patient's symptoms but explain to the parents what the doctors were concerned about and what the next steps were. By using her first language, Portuguese, she was able to facilitate communication between the family and the medical staff as well as help complete the registration process. I know this helped the family be a little more at ease knowing what was to be expected.
Camila exemplified compassion by being able to relate to the family who was from Brazil, where Camila was born. Knowing that there were differences in Portuguese between Brazil and Portugal and being able to relate culturally with the family helped in their trust and the experience they had with our staff. I have never been to a country where I did not speak the language, but I'm sure it is scarier when your child is sick and you are unable to communicate with the team taking care of your child.
Finally, Camila exemplified dedication by her willingness to ensure that a patient and her family, who was not even hers received and understood the best care possible.
Camila is the definition of an exceptional nurse who delivers exceptional nursing with compassion and dedication. I am proud to call her a coworker and she is a true DAISY Nurse!