Jo was extremely competent and just as importantly, compassionate when my fiancé was in her care for 2-3 days. I am very impressed with her and am very pleased with the care she gave him during a most critical time. Personally, I appreciate the care she gave me as well when I fell apart.
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Jo was working in PACU when a patient arrived for recovery after a cardiac stent placement. The patient developed chest pain with dysrhythmias and progressed to a full code. Many of my students responded to the code as directed. Jo was running the code and directing the staff in a calm, direct manner. She is always a consummate professional with expert level skills and a masterful critical care nurse. In this instance, it was a lesson for the students that I could not have arranged for them. By the time the physicians arrived, Jo had the situation well in hand with the team functioning in a coordinated, efficient manner. After effective CPR, medications, and defibrillations, the patient awakened and was responding appropriately. The family saw the patient before she was taken back to the cath lab where her stent was reopened.
The senior students were able to witness an event that they have practiced and many had never seen in real life. They saw Jo function as the highly skilled nurse who saved a life that day; they were so impressed by her role and the trust every participant had in her. The students were able to see the patient during the following week and participated in her successful discharge home.
I have known and worked with Jo as a colleague for years. She has also been a mentor and preceptor for many students over the years. It was an amazing experience to watch this event and so special for these young new nursing students to see Jo at work, making such a huge difference in the patient's outcome. The students are still talking about that wonderful nurse.