Christina
Mahl
May 2012
Christina
Mahl
,
RN
Healthy Kids Express
St. Louis Children's Hospital
St. Louis
,
MO
United States
Pictured in photo: Peggy Gordin, RN, MS, NEA-BC, FAAN - Vice President Patient Care Services, Christina Mahl RN and Lisa Meadows PNP - Mgr. Healthy Kids Express
While walking from the 4444 bldg. Christina came upon a mom waiting to cross the street with two young children. Christina offered to help mom get across the street. When the mom asked if we knew how to get to the hospital Christina volunteered to help the mom get to the hospital. It took about 2 minutes for Christina to find out that the mom's two month old baby was to be a direct admit from the nearby pediatrician's office the four year old had just had an nebulizer treatment in the doctor's office for asthma and the mom had ridden the bus to the doctor's office. The four year old was very active and soon it became apparent that he was having some trouble breathing again. Christina picked him up and carried him into the hospital. Christina was already carrying the diaper bag. When she bent down to pick the child up the baby's bottle in the diaper bag tipped over and leaked all down Christina's back. Despite her personal agenda for going to the hospital in the first place and the discomfort of a sticky wet back she stayed the family during the admission process. While they were waiting for the grandma to arrive on the bus Christina arranged for an aerochamber to be brought over from our office so the child would have a way to get his albuterol at grandma's as the family's nebulizer was at the mom's house.
Several days later, Christina followed up with the referring physician's office and discussed the incident with their office manager. The office now makes sure that each of the patients/families they refer have an appropriate means of transportation to ensure the child gets to our hospital safely.
This young mother who was tired and scared found an angel in Christina that day. Christina could have just directed the mom to the hospital and gone on to her meeting but she did what was right for this mom until other staff members could take over caring for this family.
While walking from the 4444 bldg. Christina came upon a mom waiting to cross the street with two young children. Christina offered to help mom get across the street. When the mom asked if we knew how to get to the hospital Christina volunteered to help the mom get to the hospital. It took about 2 minutes for Christina to find out that the mom's two month old baby was to be a direct admit from the nearby pediatrician's office the four year old had just had an nebulizer treatment in the doctor's office for asthma and the mom had ridden the bus to the doctor's office. The four year old was very active and soon it became apparent that he was having some trouble breathing again. Christina picked him up and carried him into the hospital. Christina was already carrying the diaper bag. When she bent down to pick the child up the baby's bottle in the diaper bag tipped over and leaked all down Christina's back. Despite her personal agenda for going to the hospital in the first place and the discomfort of a sticky wet back she stayed the family during the admission process. While they were waiting for the grandma to arrive on the bus Christina arranged for an aerochamber to be brought over from our office so the child would have a way to get his albuterol at grandma's as the family's nebulizer was at the mom's house.
Several days later, Christina followed up with the referring physician's office and discussed the incident with their office manager. The office now makes sure that each of the patients/families they refer have an appropriate means of transportation to ensure the child gets to our hospital safely.
This young mother who was tired and scared found an angel in Christina that day. Christina could have just directed the mom to the hospital and gone on to her meeting but she did what was right for this mom until other staff members could take over caring for this family.