Doris Jacobs, BSN, RN

We are an outpatient unit, so our time with patients is short. We had a patient just stop in-- without having an appointment--dealing with some issues since her surgery. We of course addressed this patient's needs right away with taking vitals to assure patient safety. This patient did arrive to the clinic with their spouse and a child. The news the doctors had to deliver was not an easy conversation. Doris didn't want this child to have that experience, so she took her to the cafeteria and let her pick something out. Doris continued to comfort this child outside of the room the patient was in, which also gave the patient and spouse the time to process this news together. Doris also helped start the social work process for end-of-life care and other resources for the whole family in a very small town in Iowa with limited resources.