June 2019
Elizabeth
Macera
,
RN
Emergency Department
Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans
New Orleans
,
LA
United States

 

 

 

Emergency patients usually do not spend long periods of time inside of the ED, generally averaging 4 hours from arrival to discharge. Recently, a female patient entered the ED with her mother, complaining of left-sided facial and tongue swelling. Her symptoms began the night before during dinner. The patient also had Down Syndrome with mild MR. During the interactions with the patient, Elizabeth discovered that it was the patient's 33rd birthday. Her birthday plans were to leave for Disney World the following day. Elizabeth decided that the patient's celebration should begin early. She summoned her team, told the patient story, and accepted donations. She purchased Disney themed birthday balloons from the gift shop and a variety of the patient's favorite candy. Elizabeth orchestrated a "Mission Moment" by gathering the ED team together to sing Happy Birthday when they presented the gifts to the patient. During this patient's short stay, Elizabeth was able to develop a great patient relationship and exceed the expectations of the patient by creating a memorable occasion out of an ED visit. This is an example of going above and beyond the call of duty and her actions exemplify the true heart of nursing. Thank you to Elizabeth and your entire team for going the extra mile to create an exceptional patient experience.