Jessica B Swanson
January 2022
Jessica B
Swanson
,
BSN, RN-C
Surgical ICU
Rapides Regional Medical Center
Alexandria
,
LA
United States
Jessica immediately called me and asked what the details were and wanted to travel since she had been involved in her care since the patient’s first day on the unit.
Jessica has been a Surgical ICU nurse since her graduation in May of 2018. She serves as a charge nurse in the unit, is the first nurse to lend a helping hand, and is always the person to bring you food when sick. She is currently in school for Nurse Practitioner, still picks up extra shifts, all while staying positive, and juggling her family life. She is truly one of the most selfless people I’ve had the privilege of working alongside and very well might be a robot.
Jessica took the initiative to travel with a patient when they finally got a bed in Houston for a Left Ventricular Assistant Device (LVAD) placement after waiting for multiple days for a bed to be assigned. This patient had come to our hospital in Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and took a visit to our Cath Lab where an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) was inserted. This was the patient’s second chance. She had previously been on a transplant list but was told that with her particular antibodies, she would be unable to be matched. So, when this opportunity and bed became available Jessica, along with the team, weren’t going to let her miss this chance. Jessica had just gotten off of a 12-hour shift when I asked for a volunteer to travel with the patient. Jessica immediately called me and asked what the details were and wanted to travel since she had been involved in her care since the patient’s first day on the unit…she’d be there. By 9 PM, Jessica was back at the hospital and ready to travel with this patient and would not return until 9 AM the following day. When she returned that morning, she was back in the unit excited, telling everyone about the events that occurred, and exactly how many hurdles the team had to overcome to get this patient to Houston. The original plan was to fly by helicopter, but after a failed attempt at liftoff, the route was changed to go by ground via ambulance. This turned a 4-5-hour trip into a 9 hour round trip. While this was happening, the IABP battery was dying. The ER team got the patient and Jessica to a room to plug the IABP in to get the battery back charged while ground transport was arranged. Once on the road to Houston, Jessica was in charge of monitoring the IABP as well as medications for this patient. From a failed helicopter liftoff, balloon pump battery dying, and multiple changes in plans, Jessica stayed steadfast in her mission to be with this patient until she arrived to her destination. It takes a village, and Jessica will give praise to everyone involved, but it is truly inspiring to watch her care and dedication to these patients.
Jessica took the initiative to travel with a patient when they finally got a bed in Houston for a Left Ventricular Assistant Device (LVAD) placement after waiting for multiple days for a bed to be assigned. This patient had come to our hospital in Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and took a visit to our Cath Lab where an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) was inserted. This was the patient’s second chance. She had previously been on a transplant list but was told that with her particular antibodies, she would be unable to be matched. So, when this opportunity and bed became available Jessica, along with the team, weren’t going to let her miss this chance. Jessica had just gotten off of a 12-hour shift when I asked for a volunteer to travel with the patient. Jessica immediately called me and asked what the details were and wanted to travel since she had been involved in her care since the patient’s first day on the unit…she’d be there. By 9 PM, Jessica was back at the hospital and ready to travel with this patient and would not return until 9 AM the following day. When she returned that morning, she was back in the unit excited, telling everyone about the events that occurred, and exactly how many hurdles the team had to overcome to get this patient to Houston. The original plan was to fly by helicopter, but after a failed attempt at liftoff, the route was changed to go by ground via ambulance. This turned a 4-5-hour trip into a 9 hour round trip. While this was happening, the IABP battery was dying. The ER team got the patient and Jessica to a room to plug the IABP in to get the battery back charged while ground transport was arranged. Once on the road to Houston, Jessica was in charge of monitoring the IABP as well as medications for this patient. From a failed helicopter liftoff, balloon pump battery dying, and multiple changes in plans, Jessica stayed steadfast in her mission to be with this patient until she arrived to her destination. It takes a village, and Jessica will give praise to everyone involved, but it is truly inspiring to watch her care and dedication to these patients.