July 2023
Jacqueline Renee
Griffith
,
MSN, RN, PCCN, CNML
Acuity Adaptable
Bayhealth Medical Center
Milford
,
DE
United States

 

 

 

Senior night is special to a Mom because they are recognized with their children at the start of the game and the thought of missing that, after everything she had been through, was unacceptable to her. Renee was on a mission!
Renee and her team were caring for a 46-year old mother with two sons. The patient was receiving dialysis for kidney failure and was admitted to Renee's unit with an infected dialysis catheter. She would need to have the infection cleared, a new dialysis catheter placed, and dialysis before she could be discharged. The mother was very distressed about her boys. Her first concern was the visiting policy would not allow her 13 year old son to visit. Renee sprang into action. She called the front desk and received special permission for the boy to visit each evening. The mother's next concern was a little more difficult. She was worried that she would miss her 17-year-old son's Senior Night Lacrosse game scheduled for that Friday at 1730. Senior night is special to a Mom because they are recognized with their children at the start of the game and the thought of missing that, after everything she had been through, was unacceptable to her. Renee was on a mission! She discussed the concerns with the patient's care team and created a plan that would allow for the catheter to be replaced in time. She let the patient know that everyone was on the same page to make it happen. Through the course of the week, Renee worked out the logistics: Antibiotic regimen; negative blood cultures; IR room/team availability; dialysis at the ready -- a lot of moving parts. Come Friday, it looked like all the stars were aligned, when around 11 there was a delay in the IR room -- the prior case was running late. Renee's plan was in jeopardy but she was not giving up. She called the OR and make arrangements for the patient to be literally waiting at the OR door ready to get the catheter placed as soon as the room became available. The line was placed and the grateful Mom went directly from there to Dialysis. She was discharged at 1630 with just enough time to make special memories with her son. This is Bayhealth Nursing! People who care, people who lead, people who do the right things for the right reasons! Congratulations, Renee, on a job well done.