Pictured in the photo are: Judy Ward RN, her Husband and Son and Peggy Gordin, RN, MS, NEA-BC, FAAN - Vice President Patient Care Services
Judy accepted a transferred call from the non-clinical side of the call center, 9 year old boy on the line wanting to run away and kill himself. The boy was calling to request an ambulance to be sent to his house. Judy quickly stepped into action with her usual grace and charm to convince the troubled boy to stay on the line with her until the ambulance arrived. The boy shared with Judy his past intentions to kill himself with a knife to his chest. Judy brilliantly captured important demographic and clinical information in the midst of chatting up Eagles football, school activities, even what the child ate for breakfast.
Clearly determined to keep the boy on the phone Judy conveyed powerful messages including, "I just like talking to you", "It's serious if you want to run way and kill yourself. You need big people to help you. We want to help you. We don't want anything bad to happen to you. We love you...We love you." The ongoing interaction allowed Paula Losito, working on the Answer Line with Judy, to place the 911 call to EMS resulting in an ambulance response to the correct address. The EMS worker indicated to Judy the mother's intention to make arrangements to get the child help. Judy shared her concerns regarding the child's resistance to the mother's involvement for fear of getting in trouble. Based on Judy's input, EMS reconsidered their decision and transported the child by ambulance to the hospital.
It's not every day a telephone triage nurse has the opportunity to save a child's life, but today Judy saved this boy's life. Her quick thinking, strong clinical triage skills, and exceptional communication techniques prevented this child from following through with his suicide attempt.