Jacqueline is described as "an amazing preceptor" to students and new hires. Her background is in community based mental health. She has shared her depth of knowledge and experience working with patients with mental health diagnoses and anxiety issues with the rest of the staff thus improving the overall care for these patients. Jacqueline models patience and respect, practicing patient centered care and always with a positive attitude and a smile!
Jacqueline recently took care of a patient with a significant other who was extremely upset about the care that the patient had received in PACU. This significant other was being verbally aggressive with staff, and causing the patient distress with the manner he was treating her healthcare providers. Jacqueline expressed empathy in this situation by acknowledging the significant other and the patient's feelings. She had the significant other meet with a patient advocate, and diffused the situation by keeping the patient the center focus. However, when another issue came up where two prescriptions were not covered by the worker's comp insurance that the patient expected to cover, the patient's significant other again became very verbally aggressive with staff and threatened to sue the institution. Jacqueline did a remarkable job diffusing the situation despite the pressure placed on her by the patient's significant other. The patient's significant other demonstrated anger that escalated to a point very near potential violence. Instead of preparing herself to call public safety, Jacqueline rationalized that the best thing for her patient was to diffuse the situation and ensure she had the medications that she would need while traveling home. Jacqueline rationalized that calling public safety would only anger the significant other more and impact her patient's care and well-being at home. During this time, Jacqueline had 3 other patients she was working with to meet care goals. She was continuously sought out by the patient's significant other to be told how ineffective she was being, and working the whole time with case management to resolve the insurance problem with the medications. It is not only in this one situation, but many others where Jacqueline is always placing her patient as her priority and approaching conflicts with empathy. In this situation, she knew exactly that her patient was her priority and managed the significant other's inappropriate behavior in a way few other nurses would have the skill to do.