Jane Krigbaum
April 2020
Jane
Krigbaum
,
BSN, RN, CEN
Emergency Department
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center
Laguna Hills
,
CA
United States
Recently, our hospital was at maximum capacity leading to a large number of inpatients holding in the emergency department. Several of these holding patients were assigned to the ICU. Jane was a member of the ED team on this day and started her shift with the aim to provide quality care and satisfaction for her assigned patients. On this day she knew her critically ill ICU patients had a minimal chance of obtaining an inpatient bed during her shift and set forth to have a positive attitude and make her patients' experience a good one.
Jane spent time with each of her patients performing assessments and communicating the need to remain in the ED for a prolonged period. On this day one situation made me very proud to have her as a fellow nursing colleague. A patient with active chest pain was assigned to Jane. She was present at the bedside delivering interventions and endless caring and compassion for her entire 12-hour shift. She communicated changes in condition and advocated for advanced treatments.
The precious part of this story was watching her "CARE" for her patient and his family. Jane is caring. In the pressured work environment of holding patients and receiving new critical patients, Jane remained caring and compassionate. She developed a therapeutic relationship with a particular ICU patient and his family. I witnessed her making this patient feel like his problem was her priority and that she was there to assist him. Her attitude and demeanor were energizing and healing for her patient and family. To me, she was a grounding force for our "chaotic" day.
As the day ended, and Jane had called several physicians and mapped out different treatment options, including advocating for him to receive cardiac catheterization. I witnessed her praying with him and his family. She bonded with this patient and family and displayed caring and healing that encompassed the whole patient; mind, body, and spirit. This encounter was a reminder that nurses and patients move in and out of each other's lives quickly but nonetheless they are equally changed by each encounter.
Jane spent time with each of her patients performing assessments and communicating the need to remain in the ED for a prolonged period. On this day one situation made me very proud to have her as a fellow nursing colleague. A patient with active chest pain was assigned to Jane. She was present at the bedside delivering interventions and endless caring and compassion for her entire 12-hour shift. She communicated changes in condition and advocated for advanced treatments.
The precious part of this story was watching her "CARE" for her patient and his family. Jane is caring. In the pressured work environment of holding patients and receiving new critical patients, Jane remained caring and compassionate. She developed a therapeutic relationship with a particular ICU patient and his family. I witnessed her making this patient feel like his problem was her priority and that she was there to assist him. Her attitude and demeanor were energizing and healing for her patient and family. To me, she was a grounding force for our "chaotic" day.
As the day ended, and Jane had called several physicians and mapped out different treatment options, including advocating for him to receive cardiac catheterization. I witnessed her praying with him and his family. She bonded with this patient and family and displayed caring and healing that encompassed the whole patient; mind, body, and spirit. This encounter was a reminder that nurses and patients move in and out of each other's lives quickly but nonetheless they are equally changed by each encounter.