Daniel Gutierrez
March 2020
Daniel
Gutierrez
,
RN
Pediatrics
Torrance Memorial Medical Center

 

 

 

Daniel came back and took care of us. He immediately spotted the issue at first glance, and said: "something doesn't seem right, she looks different to me than last night."
I want to commend especially two people on your pediatric ward for their quick thinking and sound clinical skills. Our newborn was unfortunately admitted with a severe viral infection. While the medical team was concerned about other things including the respiratory tract, our child, unfortunately, exhibited an uncommon reaction to the illness. We were a little concerned about her stomach and eating pattern as it seemed unusual. As my baby's belly started to balloon larger and larger, we were so fortunate to have Daniel come back and take care of us. He immediately spotted the issue at first glance, and said: "something doesn't seem right, she looks different to me than last night."
Although we were worried, we felt a little glad that someone took notice of something that was being missed (and made us feel like we weren't crazy!). He took her immediately and assessed her. He noticed a small green spot on her shirt that no one else noticed. Her demeanor was quiet and her cry and activity seemed more listless--all warning signs to him. He changed my baby, kept a close eye on her, and called his lead. As they turned her she threw up a large amount of green bile. They continued to assess her closely, assure her IV line would stay intact and calling the doctor with frequent updates. The doctor said she will round in the morning, they continued to pursue things as they had a hunch things were more serious than realized. Fortunately, they were able to get an x-ray and place an NG tube right away. My child had experienced some type of bowel obstruction that was completely unexpected. The doctor then rounded right away and began a treatment plan that put our child on a path to recovery.
If it wasn't for the keen skills of Daniel, his persistence in going with his gut instinct, my child would have gotten much sicker and a diagnosis made perhaps 12 hours too late. We want to give our heartfelt thanks to nurses like Daniel that seem to love what they do and care so deeply about doing it well to serve these kids. Great job!