Debbie Dominy, BSN, RN, CCRN

I unexpectedly arrived in the ICU after going into AFib intraoperatively during a scheduled surgery, which necessitated aborting the procedure. My heart rate was in the 150s-170's, and my BP was low when I arrived, despite a diltiazem drip started in the PACU.

My family and I had a high level of anxiety over the unexpected turn of events, and I was feeling horrible. Debbie came in, and she said she couldn't help but notice what was happening on my cardiac monitor and came in to see if I was OK. She just had an air of warmth, caring, and competence. She listened to us and never rushed or acted like I was a burden. She checked my doctor's orders and adjusted my diltiazem drip, and very quickly, I converted back to sinus rhythm, which made a huge difference in how I felt. She even brought me a copy of the ECG printout of the conversion so I could provide it to my home doctors.

She checked back numerous times that shift, and the next day, even though I wasn't even her patient. She is the epitome of a nurse who assesses the situation, puts the patient first, and sees them (and their family members) as a whole person in a vulnerable state. With Debbie, I felt like a person with a monitor attached, not a monitor with a person attached.