darla everitt, BSN, RN, CMSRN

Darla went above and beyond to identify and engage with the family of a critically ill subarachnoid hemorrhage patient. This young woman was transferred from an outside hospital intubated for severe hemorrhage. Unfortunately, we had no family contacts at transfer. Darla engaged with social work and when they were unable to find family members for the patient, Darla then utilized social media to determine a patient's aunt. Working with our unit director and manager, she then sent a HIPAA-compliant message to the aunt, who was able to have the patient's mother call us. This process assuaged fears of the patient's mother that her daughter had suffered catastrophic calamity and ensured that we could coordinate with the patient's mother (who is now a default power of attorney) to guide decisions about patient-centered care. Kudos Darla!