Today we had a RRT. The patient was sitting up in the chair and visiting with his family when he experienced a 10 second pause. Staff rushed into the room to assist, and yes, the patient spontaneously regained a heart rate of 60 and was transferred to CCU. When I came running around the corner of B station the first thing I saw were two little girls sitting on the floor outside 327 and Christy Clark right beside them. Christy told me she was going to take the girls out to the mezzanine and stay with them.
I continued into the patient’s room to assist with the Rapid Response. While Dr. Smiricky was talking to the pt’s family (the little girls’ father), Christy came up behind me, handed me her card with her phone number on it, and said she and Heidi (coworker) were taking the girls downstairs for lunch and asked me to give the father her card. After his conversation with the physician, I gave the card to the father and told him that his girls were with a nurse downstairs having lunch and showed him the number to call once he was settled with the patient’s situation. He immediately asked if they needed money. I said “no, don’t worry about it. Your girls are being taken care of.” He was very grateful, and was able to follow his family member to the ICU.

I just wanted to pass on this heart warming story, and recognize Christy and Heidi for their compassion. I think it’s a blessing to have team members who just jump in and help wherever they can.