Jade Petrus
May 2022
Jade
Petrus
,
RN, MSN, BSN
Emergency Department
Stanford Health Care- ValleyCare
Pleasanton
,
CA
United States

 

 

 

He probably can't remember what happened that day, and that's a good thing; however, I'll remember that he's alive today because of you, Jade.
Jade, do you remember way back at the end of January when I said to you outside of ER Room X, "If this guy lives and walks out of the hospital, it's all because of you!"? He was 59 years old, married, and too young to die. It was terribly busy that day, with an intracranial bleed in another room, an orthopedist with a stroke, and every bed in the department occupied. To add fuel to the fire, this patient rolls in the door with shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. You knew he was sick, and you jumped all over him from the get-go. He gets everything, including BiPAP support (which fails), intubation, central line placement, multiple treatment regimens, and then he codes not once, but three times while you're trying to do everything you can to save his life. It takes Herculean strength to pull someone out of the grave, but you were up to the task. Despite the chaos and stress of this event, you kept your cool and let your professionalism as an ER nurse guide your care at the bedside. He walked out of the hospital days later, none the worse for wear. He probably can't remember what happened that day, and that's a good thing; however, I'll remember that he's alive today because of you, Jade. You were his ultimate advocate that fateful day, and I am grateful for all that you and every RN does for our patients on a daily basis!