August 2021
Chuck
Snodderly
,
RN, CNOR
Operating Room
Meritus Medical Center
Hagerstown
,
MD
United States
Chuck was fully vested in helping in any possible way to assure the safety of the patient and provide support for the primary RN.
On a recent Saturday morning, PACU received a critical patient from surgery. The patient required a higher level of care and was to be flown to another hospital from PACU, once arrangements could be made. The patient arrived at 0932 with a BP in the 70-80's/. Per our normal weekend staffing, there were only 2 RNS present in PACU to care for this patient.
On arrival, the patient was receiving 2 units of blood and was to subsequently be started on a Norepinephrine ggt. She was intubated and would remain on the ventilator and would need a Precedex infusion a well. The Anesthesia provider also planned to insert an arterial line for BP monitoring. From the moment of arrival the patient required nonstop care, her BP was unstable at times requiring many adjustments to medications and fluids. Within 20-30 minutes of arrival to PACU, another surgical patient arrived, requiring the second PACU nurse to leave the bedside to care for this patient. The patient then followed by 2 endoscopy cases. Because of the additional 3 cases, the second PACU nurse was unable to provide the needed assistance for care of the critical patient. Per our normal weekend staffing, there was no unit clerk to assist with phone calls, and there was no CNA for hands on assistance which was needed.
The circulating nurse for the case was Chuck. As he entered PACU with the critical patient, he was well aware of the complexity of care she would require and knew the PACU staff would have difficulty meeting those needs timely. Chuck immediately assisted with any task he could to help the primary RN keep the patient hemodynamically stable. He was so involved in caring for the patient it was easily 30-45 minutes before he left the bedside.
Frequently, when he had a few minutes from the Operating Room he returned to offer help to the PACU staff, doing anything that was asked of him. The patient was in PACU for 3 hours. Once the Transport Team arrived, he was again at the bedside helping to package the patient for travel and escorted the team to the helipad for departure. Chuck's interactions with the primary RN were genuine and caring. He was fully vested in helping in any possible way to assure the safety of the patient and provide support for the primary RN.
Once the patient was discharged, Chuck again returned to the PACU to clean "Spot 3" and the various pieces of equipment used for patient care, allowing the primary nurse to complete her documentation. Chuck was not obligated or required in any way to perform the way he did. He could have remained in the OR suite doing anything else, other than helping in PACU. As the primary nurse, I am extremely grateful for the compassion, care, and willingness he exhibited to assist me and the other PACU nurse. Thank you, Chuck!
On arrival, the patient was receiving 2 units of blood and was to subsequently be started on a Norepinephrine ggt. She was intubated and would remain on the ventilator and would need a Precedex infusion a well. The Anesthesia provider also planned to insert an arterial line for BP monitoring. From the moment of arrival the patient required nonstop care, her BP was unstable at times requiring many adjustments to medications and fluids. Within 20-30 minutes of arrival to PACU, another surgical patient arrived, requiring the second PACU nurse to leave the bedside to care for this patient. The patient then followed by 2 endoscopy cases. Because of the additional 3 cases, the second PACU nurse was unable to provide the needed assistance for care of the critical patient. Per our normal weekend staffing, there was no unit clerk to assist with phone calls, and there was no CNA for hands on assistance which was needed.
The circulating nurse for the case was Chuck. As he entered PACU with the critical patient, he was well aware of the complexity of care she would require and knew the PACU staff would have difficulty meeting those needs timely. Chuck immediately assisted with any task he could to help the primary RN keep the patient hemodynamically stable. He was so involved in caring for the patient it was easily 30-45 minutes before he left the bedside.
Frequently, when he had a few minutes from the Operating Room he returned to offer help to the PACU staff, doing anything that was asked of him. The patient was in PACU for 3 hours. Once the Transport Team arrived, he was again at the bedside helping to package the patient for travel and escorted the team to the helipad for departure. Chuck's interactions with the primary RN were genuine and caring. He was fully vested in helping in any possible way to assure the safety of the patient and provide support for the primary RN.
Once the patient was discharged, Chuck again returned to the PACU to clean "Spot 3" and the various pieces of equipment used for patient care, allowing the primary nurse to complete her documentation. Chuck was not obligated or required in any way to perform the way he did. He could have remained in the OR suite doing anything else, other than helping in PACU. As the primary nurse, I am extremely grateful for the compassion, care, and willingness he exhibited to assist me and the other PACU nurse. Thank you, Chuck!