Kate Tibbs, RN

I have been admitted on many occasions with kidney infections/urosepsis often triggered by bilateral nephrostomies. Usually a few days on intravenous antibiotics and being sent home with oral meds is sufficient. One evening,I began to show signs of infection after a painful flush of my right nephrostomy, earlier that day. A call to 111 resulted in a visit from paramedics. At about 2-30am, temp was over 39% and I had shivers etc. I was transported to A&E and had a cannula put in place. At around 6am I told my husband to go home as I knew I would be in assessment for a while. Time after that was a bit blurry, but ended up in a bed in EAU4 where I was being assessed. At around 4pm nurse Kate Tibbs accompanied a doctor at my bedside and he explained to me that a DNR package was in place because of my many health issues. I started to become drowsy and everything became blurry. My stats and OBS were not due at that time but nurse Tibbs was keeping a close observation of me. At some point she felt there was a change and perhaps even a deterioration, she just felt by looking at me something was very wrong. She stopped her routine and took my OBS, I remember hearing her say “that can't be right”. She immediately checked again using a different machine and said to me “I have to leave you for a moment but will be straight back”. She quickly returned, held my hand and explained that a medical team would be arriving in a hurry, but not to be alarmed or scared. I was later informed that my BP was 32/15 and if she had not checked at that time, Double checked, acted immediately and firmly insisted my condition was urgent and in need of rapid action, I'm certain I would not have survived. When the team arrived urgent care was given and when I stabilized I was admitted to ITU for treatment for sepsis for four days then onto a general ward and then allowed home. I sincerely believe that nurse Tibbs, who I later found out had only just qualified, was observant, vigilant, insistent and compassionate and thanks to her actions at that time my family is planning Xmas and not a funeral. I have seen nurse Tibbs since then and thanked her in person but I feel such certainty that her willingness to intervene and sound the alarm of my desperate state, made all the difference and should be recognised.