Julianna Smith, nurse in the Emergency Department, made a real difference for her patient when she initiated a STAT call.

This patient had come to the ER with a history of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Julie had orders to send her to a med/surg bed but was concerned that her patient had spiked a temperature of 104.9, had an elevated white blood cell count and heart rate and a low blood pressure despite aggressive fluid resuscitation. Even with an unremarkable CAT scan, Julie was reluctant to send her patient out of the ER without further assessment and intervention. However, the team of accepting doctors on call were unwilling to listen to her concerns.

So Julie called the STAT team. As far as I am aware this was the first time anyone in the ER has utilized the STAT team. Luckily, the physicians decided to re-assess her patient when a second nurse verified Julie’s concerns. In fact, based on the fever, the change in the patient’s pain, and the continued hypotension, the patient was taken to the OR for acute appendicitis within two hours.

Julie’s actions and determination to advocate for her patient made a true difference. I think that she should be recognized for her outstanding efforts to deliver the care her patient truly needed that Saturday evening.