Rapid Response originally got consulted for a 19-year old postpartum mom with new onset respiratory distress, acutely desaturating on a venti-mask at 10L. At the time of our arrival to the unit, J (the patient) was nearly inconsolable. Barely able to form multi-word sentences due to shortness of breath but begging to be allowed to go home. The primary nurse at bedside explained that J had in the past hour given birth to a 29-week preterm newborn who had to be emergently resuscitated at her (mom's) bedside with intubation and placement of two chest tubes. RRT obtained an ABG and transported the patient to the SICU with a stop in CT scan for evaluation for possible PE. After settling J in the SICU, RRT signed off the consult.
About an hour later, RRT received a page from the Labor and Delivery charge nurse requesting that we return to the SICU to assist in transporting and monitoring J in the NICU. Per the charge nurse, the patient's assigned SICU RN was unable to leave P4 because of his other patient's hemodynamic instability. The SICU providers were agreeable that J be allowed to travel via bed with continuous cardiac monitoring and pulse oximetry on a non-rebreather mask provided she was able to maintain oxygen saturation >95%. Erin was chosen to remain with J because of the previous interactions during her consult while the other RRT members went to the bedside of another patient on the GPU.
With the assistance of the labor and delivery charge nurse, Erin transported J to the NICU where the neonatal care team were actively resuscitating her newborn. We were able to maneuver her bed up next to the isolette to that J was able to, for the first time, touch her daughter. With her family and boyfriend, C, at her side, J was able to see the neonatal care team making every valiant effort to save her baby. The team fought for the baby's life with chest compressions, additional chest tube placements, and vasopressor/blood product administration for about two more hours while J and her family lingered hoping for a miracle. J pleaded with Erin to tell her what she had done wrong. It broke Erin's heart every time she told her that none of this was her fault. Eventually, the neonatologist approached both J and C explaining the futility of continuing care when all the heroic interventions thus far had been unsuccessful. Erin held J's hand while the NICU team withdrew care and placed her baby into her arms.
Erin remained with the mother in the NICU until she had seen her baby baptized and then they returned to the ICU.
Erin was simply present on what, I am absolutely sure, was the worst day of a scared and sick 19-year old mother's life. It was a heartbreaking honor for Erin to be invited into this patient's family in these few grief-stricken moments. As a Rapid Response RN, Erin went above and beyond to make sure that the mother could see her baby. J needed 100% oxygen and continuous cardiac monitoring herself as she was hypoxic and needed ICU care but J needed to be there to spend those few precious moments with her newborn baby.
Erin is a true DAISY Nurse for helping this mother and boyfriend in their hour of need. We are blessed to have her as a part of the Rapid Response team.