To set the stage of all that was going on, the ICU had a fresh heart come out of surgery at the same time as a rapid response was called on another patient who required extensive intervention. While all of this was going on, a patient that Deb followed for continuous dialysis needed a Cat Scan. This veteran was very sick, intubated on 100% oxygen, sedated, and being treated for CoVid. Deb saw that ICU charge and resource were occupied with the fresh heart and the rapid, and couldn’t accompany the ICU nurse to CT scan. Since the patient was so sick, it wasn’t advised for the nurse to take the patient to CT alone. The CT was vital for the family meeting that was happening the next day. Deb heard what was going on, and volunteered to be a second set of hands to help out, suiting up in isolation gear and putting the veteran first.

Deb showed integrity in her work by having a positive attitude and being a role model by willingly doing something that she was not required to do. Going to CT scan is not a dialysis nurses job, but she knew it was best for the patient to go to CT scan and was cheerful to help. Deb showed commitment by working well with the ICU and making sure that the patient was safe for transport and accompanied the patient to CT scan. She ensured that the families goals were accomplished by getting vital information from the CT scan so they could make an informed decision for their family meeting. Deb showed advocacy by communicating to us that she had previous ICU experience, that she wanted to help out, and she felt like she could.

Deb and the primary nurse discussed what her role would be and she excelled in the patient care that she delivered on the road trip. Deb showed respect by caring for the patient, caring for the families' wishes, and caring for the ICU staff. She knew that without her we literally would not be able to get this test done before the family meeting. She demonstrated how much she cared by taking time away from her day to make sure the scan was completed. Deb showed excellence because she made an impact on the patient’s care. She prevented any delays in the patient’s care and made it possible to have information needed for the family to make a decision about the patient’s prognosis. Since the patient’s prognosis was poor and there was a loss of gag reflex the head CT was very helpful to see if there was any cause of this. This was vital information to have for the family meeting.

In summary, I cannot express how deeply I appreciate what Deb did. She saw that we were spread thin, and that we were unable to provide the care that the patient required at the time. She did not need to get involved, it was not her problem. But, she saw that the patient needed it, and took it upon herself to embody the ICARE attributes. This act of kindness is something I will never forget.