Debra Metzgar
February 2021
Debra
Metzgar
,
LPN
Specialty Clinic
Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center
It was a Rapid Response initiative guided by Debra to save the veteran's life.
Debra's dedication to her providers and veterans can be witnessed in the several days she has stayed past her tour of duty to complete a task or assist a veteran. Of the many situations Debra has aided in resolving, one occurrence, in particular, could have had a detrimental consequence had Debra not been cognizant and reactive, independent of assistance from others.
Dr. T, the clinic's TeleHealth Endocrinologist in Florida, was on a TLCP phone call with a veteran when she messaged Debra via skype expressing concern that the veteran was acting abnormally and feared he was experiencing an acute Hypoglycemic episode. In trying to stay connected with the veteran as not to lose contact, Debra was instructed by Dr. T to quickly obtain the veteran's demographics and call 911 to send emergency personnel to the veteran's house.
After being rerouted to two 911 call centers related to the veteran's residential county, she was able to relay the information and request emergency personal visits the veteran's residence. She also contacted the veteran's family, listed on the contact list, to make them aware and stayed on the phone until they reached the residence. The veteran was treated, and a potentially life-threatening situation was avoided. It was an independent implementation that consequently saved a veteran's life.
For a situation where neither the Provider nor the Veteran were physically present, Debra's reactive reflexes and composure under pressure speaks to her commitment to her profession and advocacy for patients when they are unable to do so for themselves. Nurses and hospital staff alike are quite frequently placed in life and death situations regarding the patients they care for, where responsiveness and intervention are the lifelines between a positive and negative outcome.
What makes this particular situation unique is the lack of senses nurses often utilize to determining well-being, such as sight for assessment and touch for palpation and intervention. Debra had to interpret that what she was being told and utilize local rescue personnel and family members to assist in her care. It is amazing how nurses can still have an impact on a patient's life, even though they are just on the receiving end of a clinic phone call. It was a Rapid Response initiative guided by Debra to save the veteran's life.
Dr. T, the clinic's TeleHealth Endocrinologist in Florida, was on a TLCP phone call with a veteran when she messaged Debra via skype expressing concern that the veteran was acting abnormally and feared he was experiencing an acute Hypoglycemic episode. In trying to stay connected with the veteran as not to lose contact, Debra was instructed by Dr. T to quickly obtain the veteran's demographics and call 911 to send emergency personnel to the veteran's house.
After being rerouted to two 911 call centers related to the veteran's residential county, she was able to relay the information and request emergency personal visits the veteran's residence. She also contacted the veteran's family, listed on the contact list, to make them aware and stayed on the phone until they reached the residence. The veteran was treated, and a potentially life-threatening situation was avoided. It was an independent implementation that consequently saved a veteran's life.
For a situation where neither the Provider nor the Veteran were physically present, Debra's reactive reflexes and composure under pressure speaks to her commitment to her profession and advocacy for patients when they are unable to do so for themselves. Nurses and hospital staff alike are quite frequently placed in life and death situations regarding the patients they care for, where responsiveness and intervention are the lifelines between a positive and negative outcome.
What makes this particular situation unique is the lack of senses nurses often utilize to determining well-being, such as sight for assessment and touch for palpation and intervention. Debra had to interpret that what she was being told and utilize local rescue personnel and family members to assist in her care. It is amazing how nurses can still have an impact on a patient's life, even though they are just on the receiving end of a clinic phone call. It was a Rapid Response initiative guided by Debra to save the veteran's life.