Recently we had a patient in SDS with severe behavior issues that required several staff members to care for her both pre and post-op. Kassie assigned herself to this patient knowing the patient's extensive medical history and anticipated difficulties that were going to be present preop. The patient had never had surgery before which added another aspect of concern for the patient's mother and unknown behavior for the patient. Kassie was caring, kind, and showed great compassion in her care for the patient. Kassie, in addition to caring for the patient, was caring for the mother, since she was visibly upset with her daughter having surgery for the first time with unknown behavior possibilities. Kassie remained calm and reassuring to the patient and her mother. She was able to deescalate the patient's behavior on several occasions with her actually getting on the floor with the patient trying to continue to keep her calm in a scary environment. The surgery was successful and Kassie, who was assigned pre-op, came to the post-op area to help continue the care for this special patient. The patient's anticipated behavior post-op was concerning for the staff, but Kassie's presence was both reassuring to the patient and the patient's mother.
The post-op course was very smooth and the patient was discharged home. The patient's mother commented to Kassie that she was grateful for the care that she received, and everything went so much smoother than she anticipated. Kassie was a huge piece of the process that helped the patient maintain calm and safe during her stay in surgical services. Thank you for all you do for your patients and their families.