Elizabeth Blanco, RN from Atlantic County Dialysis- embodies the very definition of compassion.  She is someone who goes out of her way on a daily basis to not only provide excellent care to her patients but also to treat her patients like family and makes sure they feel as such.  I can recall a certain situation in which this nurse's integrity, compassion, and empathy for her patient really showed through.  

There was a particular patient, who was a permanent resident of a local long-term facility and who had no family.   Liz started to notice, over the course of 2 weeks, that the patient had not been acting like himself. The patient's mood had drastically changed.  He was becoming more volatile and mean, whereas he was always so happy and grateful in the past.  

He was coming in ungroomed and disheveled, when before he had always taken pride in his appearance. During one of his HD sessions, Liz took it upon herself to sit and chat with the patient to try and figure out what caused this drastic change. The patient could not articulate what was going on with him.  This is when the nurse noticed a bandage on the patient's chest peaking out the top of his hospital gown.  

Upon further investigation, the nurse found a PICC line in the patient with a dressing dated 3 months prior.  She quickly pulled the patient's chart and investigated the records of the most recent hospitalizations.  The patient had been admitted 4 months prior for an infection within his AVG for which he was sent home with a PICC line for IV antibiotics to be administered at his facility. However, this antibiotic course was to be completed within 3 weeks of discharge.  Liz, being the diligent and concerned person that she is, went a step further to follow up with his facility to inquire about what follow up appointments he had post-hospitalization and requested his current medication administration records as well as dressing change records.  

It was found that this patient was not prescribed any further treatment after that initial antibiotic therapy and that PICC line had been unnecessarily in place for the past 3 months.  

Not only was this true but the port had been neglected and no dressing changes had done either.  She immediately notified the nephrologist and social worker at our unit.  

The Nephrologist ordered blood cultures and the patient was found to have a bloodstream infection, which explained his current change in behavior.  

The PICC line was immediately removed and the infection was treated.  The social worker notified the Ombudsman and the facility was reported for neglect of the patient.   

This patient's life was saved due to the fact that Liz not only recognized the decline in the patient but was concerned enough to investigate why.  

She would not accept that the patient's decline was just a natural progression of age or of his ESRD. Liz took the time to protect the patient from the wrongdoing and the neglect that caused this patient harm because she genuinely cared for him as though he were her own family member. 

Liz knew that this patient had no family nor anyone who could step up and speak for him, so she was his voice, and lucky for him, her persistence, tenacity, and heart never wavered.  

This patient, as well as the other patients within our facility, are extremely fortunate to have this advocate, who is so passionate about their well-being and their quality of life.