Heather McElhaney was recently caring for a 24-year-old patient who had been in a life changing motor vehicle accident in February of this year. The patient sustained injuries which impacted his ability to do any type of care for himself at all and has been in a long-term care facility for the last few months. The life the patient once knew is now gone and he is learning now how to cope with all of these changes. The patient is very afraid and has had some past healthcare experiences after his accident that has made him very distrustful and wary of healthcare providers.
Heather was assigned to this patient and quickly made a connection not only with him but his entire family. She spent time getting to know him including his needs, his fears and worked with him to create a care plan that was specifically tailored to meet all his needs and expectations. Knowing he was afraid, she approached every situation with such care and compassion and ensured that she gave him several choices on how to achieve tasks at hand. She talked extensively with his physicians to get needed referrals, stayed over her shift to sit with family and answer questions, be a support to them and made sure they knew every aspect of his care plan. The family specifically requested she be assigned to him each shift she worked. I watched Heather cry tears of empathy and compassion for this patient and his family. I also watched Heather cry tears of joy when he met goals or she felt she had a breakthrough with him. She ensured anyone who had contact with this patient understood the situation and worked so hard at maintaining continuity of care. The patient had equipment that made providing care a little challenging, however, Heather was always up to the challenge. For example, the patient had not had his hair washed with shampoo and water since the accident in February. Heather found a solution to the equipment challenges and was able to wash his hair which made such a big difference to him. Heather found out his likes, his dislikes, and made such a connection with this young man, a connection that he has not been able to have with other healthcare providers since his accident.
The trust Heather was able to gain while providing care was phenomenal. This is nothing new for Heather, who treats all of her patients with care and compassion. However, this is a unique situation. Heather never looked at any of this as a challenge. Instead, Heather looked at this as an opportunity on how she could make a difference in the life of this patient and his family. She is truly a shining star and role model for all nurses.