February 2017
Joseph
Mcginnis
,
RN
Emergency Department
Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center
Reno
,
NV
United States
I would like to commend Joseph McGinnis on a patient interaction which I witnessed in Saint Mary's Emergency Department. Joe's care of this patient demonstrated noteworthy compassion, advocacy, and human kindness.
On this particular afternoon, a REMSA call came into the ED reporting a hypotensive failure to thrive patient being transported from a filthy long term motel living situation. Joe was the primary nurse for the trauma bay, and he along with several other staff members, including myself, gathered to accept this EMS transport. Upon the medic's arrival, the team moved the patient from the stretcher to the ED gurney. The patient was covered in dried feces, eyes caked shut with green exudate, oral cavity severely dried and cracked. This patient was extremely emaciated and malnourished. The odor was horrendous due to the feces, soiled clothing, and skin breakdown. At this point, it was difficult to even tell if this patient was male or female.
Due to the ghastly smells most of the staff in the room coughed, gagged, and groaned, but one ED staff member shined bright that day, providing skilled and compassionate care. Joe immediately displayed kindness in his interactions with this patient. Joe leaned down to her right ear, and gently spoke directly to her. To our surprise, she spoke back, somewhat confused but answering Joe's simple questions. He continued interacting tenderly with her, gathering vitals and basic triage information. I watched Joe calm her verbally while she moaned as the child size BP cuff tightened on her emaciated upper arm. Another wonderful RN assisted me in carefully cleaning the feces and removing crusty clothing dried to her fragile skin. Under Joe's direction, the other nurse and I worked together to log roll her to clean and evaluate her posterior sores. Joe sympathetically wiped off her eye drainage and quietly encouraged her to keep her eyes closed if she wanted. Joe especially impressed me with his tender conversation and ongoing explanations to her.
I was only present for the first 20 minutes of this patient's care before I was pulled to other duties, but I feel compelled to highlight Joe's professional and exemplary nursing care of this challenging patient. In addition to the intake data required, Joe was hyper-aware of her need for skin care, as well as her psychological need for reassurance and safety. He chose not to be distracted by the negatives of this situation. Instead, Joe exhibited the compassion, skill ,and kindness that she, and all patients, deserve. I am proud to learn from and work beside Joe.
Joe exemplified the spectacular characteristics of a distinguished registered nurse with his compassionate and delicate delivery of care to an at-risk individual. I have rarely seen this level of non-judgment and kindheartedness in my 20 years as a hospital RN.
On this particular afternoon, a REMSA call came into the ED reporting a hypotensive failure to thrive patient being transported from a filthy long term motel living situation. Joe was the primary nurse for the trauma bay, and he along with several other staff members, including myself, gathered to accept this EMS transport. Upon the medic's arrival, the team moved the patient from the stretcher to the ED gurney. The patient was covered in dried feces, eyes caked shut with green exudate, oral cavity severely dried and cracked. This patient was extremely emaciated and malnourished. The odor was horrendous due to the feces, soiled clothing, and skin breakdown. At this point, it was difficult to even tell if this patient was male or female.
Due to the ghastly smells most of the staff in the room coughed, gagged, and groaned, but one ED staff member shined bright that day, providing skilled and compassionate care. Joe immediately displayed kindness in his interactions with this patient. Joe leaned down to her right ear, and gently spoke directly to her. To our surprise, she spoke back, somewhat confused but answering Joe's simple questions. He continued interacting tenderly with her, gathering vitals and basic triage information. I watched Joe calm her verbally while she moaned as the child size BP cuff tightened on her emaciated upper arm. Another wonderful RN assisted me in carefully cleaning the feces and removing crusty clothing dried to her fragile skin. Under Joe's direction, the other nurse and I worked together to log roll her to clean and evaluate her posterior sores. Joe sympathetically wiped off her eye drainage and quietly encouraged her to keep her eyes closed if she wanted. Joe especially impressed me with his tender conversation and ongoing explanations to her.
I was only present for the first 20 minutes of this patient's care before I was pulled to other duties, but I feel compelled to highlight Joe's professional and exemplary nursing care of this challenging patient. In addition to the intake data required, Joe was hyper-aware of her need for skin care, as well as her psychological need for reassurance and safety. He chose not to be distracted by the negatives of this situation. Instead, Joe exhibited the compassion, skill ,and kindness that she, and all patients, deserve. I am proud to learn from and work beside Joe.
Joe exemplified the spectacular characteristics of a distinguished registered nurse with his compassionate and delicate delivery of care to an at-risk individual. I have rarely seen this level of non-judgment and kindheartedness in my 20 years as a hospital RN.