Karen Lange
May 2023
Karen
Lange
,
RN
Infusion Center
Samaritan Hospital - Albany Memorial Campus
Albany
,
NY
United States
Karen volunteered to stay until whatever time she needed to stay to make sure this patient was treated before the weekend.
I want to recognize one of the infusion nurses on my team here at Albany Memorial. Her name is Karen Lange. She is modest and would not want me to do this, but today I felt it necessary to recognize her.
Today, we had a patient who was referred to us for a blood transfusion. This patient is 81 years old, on hospice, and suffering from ovarian cancer with a critical H/H of 5 and 19. Our infusion schedule today was very heavy and we were not sure we would be able to take this patient until Monday. Karen volunteered to stay until whatever time she needed to stay to make sure this patient was treated before the weekend. Karen contacted the blood bank to make sure blood was available. She then called the patient herself and when she couldn't reach her, she contacted the ordering provider's office to obtain a different phone number. Eventually, the patient called back and Karen advised her to come right over for her infusion.
On arrival, the patient was in a wheelchair accompanied by her significant other. He mentioned that they haven't been sleeping at night and that was why they missed our call. The patient was remarkedly pale and weak. Karen made sure to offer the patient a bed instead of a chair and made her feel very comfortable with warm blankets. The patient and her significant other were so thankful that they were able to come in before the weekend. He was concerned she would have ended up in the ER had they not. The patient's port was not working but Karen was able to troubleshoot and unclog it so it could be used for the treatment.
To Karen, this might just be an ordinary day or occurrence...not a big deal to get someone in who needed an appointment. But I would disagree - this was more than that. Karen exemplified the true meaning of nursing for what she did to get this patient treated. She went above and beyond what would be expected of her and above all, put the patient's needs first and foremost even on the busiest of days.
When I checked in on the patient in the afternoon, she was about to get her second unit of blood and was clearly feeling better. Her color had "pinked up" and her significant other seemed quite relieved. I am so proud to work with Karen and she is more than just a nurse. She is a caring and compassionate person who always puts other people first and is an advocate for her patients. She is an invaluable member of our infusion team.
Today, we had a patient who was referred to us for a blood transfusion. This patient is 81 years old, on hospice, and suffering from ovarian cancer with a critical H/H of 5 and 19. Our infusion schedule today was very heavy and we were not sure we would be able to take this patient until Monday. Karen volunteered to stay until whatever time she needed to stay to make sure this patient was treated before the weekend. Karen contacted the blood bank to make sure blood was available. She then called the patient herself and when she couldn't reach her, she contacted the ordering provider's office to obtain a different phone number. Eventually, the patient called back and Karen advised her to come right over for her infusion.
On arrival, the patient was in a wheelchair accompanied by her significant other. He mentioned that they haven't been sleeping at night and that was why they missed our call. The patient was remarkedly pale and weak. Karen made sure to offer the patient a bed instead of a chair and made her feel very comfortable with warm blankets. The patient and her significant other were so thankful that they were able to come in before the weekend. He was concerned she would have ended up in the ER had they not. The patient's port was not working but Karen was able to troubleshoot and unclog it so it could be used for the treatment.
To Karen, this might just be an ordinary day or occurrence...not a big deal to get someone in who needed an appointment. But I would disagree - this was more than that. Karen exemplified the true meaning of nursing for what she did to get this patient treated. She went above and beyond what would be expected of her and above all, put the patient's needs first and foremost even on the busiest of days.
When I checked in on the patient in the afternoon, she was about to get her second unit of blood and was clearly feeling better. Her color had "pinked up" and her significant other seemed quite relieved. I am so proud to work with Karen and she is more than just a nurse. She is a caring and compassionate person who always puts other people first and is an advocate for her patients. She is an invaluable member of our infusion team.