Dorothy
Perry
January 2014
Dorothy
Perry
,
RN
PICU
Riverside County Regional Medical Center
Moreno Valley
,
CA
United States
Dorothy Perry has been an extraordinary PICU nurse for many years. She still has the passion and enthusiasm while caring for her patients and their families. Her warm smile and comforting words to not only her patients, but also to her fellow staff members and students that aspire to be just like her. Here is an example.
We received a 15 year old boy that had been involved in a car accident with his mother and brother. Their vehicle was struck from behind by a drunk driver causing their vehicle to wrap around a light pole. This young man sustained a catastrophic brain injury. Due to his father being estranged and living out of state, his 20 year old brother became his next of kin. Over the following weeks, this patient's condition became worse and he was diagnosed with Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) and was given a poor prognosis. (DAI is considered the most devastating type of brain injury). His brother was placed in a position to make very difficult decisions on behalf on his only sibling while planning the funeral of his mother who died at the accident.
Dorothy not only took care of the patient, but his family as well, giving them support during this entire process. Dorothy went above and beyond by visiting the patient daily whether he was assigned to her or not. She would carry on a conversation with him even though he was intubated with a low Glascow Coma Score. As with many of the pediatric patients that she nurtures, she even came up with an endearing nickname for this patient. Dorothy is known to open the blinds in a patient's room and let them know what the weather is and encourage their recovery so that they can go back to the normalcy of their lives. One day, Dorothy said with a big smile, "he squeezed my finger!" The look on her face was that of pure joy.
This patient has since transferred to Ballard to continue his recovery. Despite multiple orthopedic injuries, he now ambulates with a normal gait and is on his way to a full recovery, thanks in part to the dedication and passion Dorothy has for her patients.
The patient's outcome and the help that Dorothy was able to give him and his family was unique. Her presence and her passion should be recognized. I cannot think of any nurse more deserving of the DAISY Award than Dorothy.
We received a 15 year old boy that had been involved in a car accident with his mother and brother. Their vehicle was struck from behind by a drunk driver causing their vehicle to wrap around a light pole. This young man sustained a catastrophic brain injury. Due to his father being estranged and living out of state, his 20 year old brother became his next of kin. Over the following weeks, this patient's condition became worse and he was diagnosed with Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) and was given a poor prognosis. (DAI is considered the most devastating type of brain injury). His brother was placed in a position to make very difficult decisions on behalf on his only sibling while planning the funeral of his mother who died at the accident.
Dorothy not only took care of the patient, but his family as well, giving them support during this entire process. Dorothy went above and beyond by visiting the patient daily whether he was assigned to her or not. She would carry on a conversation with him even though he was intubated with a low Glascow Coma Score. As with many of the pediatric patients that she nurtures, she even came up with an endearing nickname for this patient. Dorothy is known to open the blinds in a patient's room and let them know what the weather is and encourage their recovery so that they can go back to the normalcy of their lives. One day, Dorothy said with a big smile, "he squeezed my finger!" The look on her face was that of pure joy.
This patient has since transferred to Ballard to continue his recovery. Despite multiple orthopedic injuries, he now ambulates with a normal gait and is on his way to a full recovery, thanks in part to the dedication and passion Dorothy has for her patients.
The patient's outcome and the help that Dorothy was able to give him and his family was unique. Her presence and her passion should be recognized. I cannot think of any nurse more deserving of the DAISY Award than Dorothy.