Kathleen Leake
March 2019
Kathleen
Leake
,
BSN, RN, BCEN
Emergency Department
Charles George VA Medical Center
Asheville
,
NC
United States
I want to tell you about the excellent care and compassion Kathleen gave to one of our veterans and their family who came in on Christmas Day. We had a man come into the ED who began having symptoms of acute stroke with right-sided weakness earlier that morning. Kathleen recognized immediately the need for expediting this man to be transferred to Mission, WNC stroke center, for advanced care, knowing that he would need more than the VA could offer him, especially on a holiday, when time is paramount for stroke patients.
Kathleen automatically met resistance from the ED provider, who dug his feet in refusing to even consider the transfer, saying that his 3 hour window had been reached and it wasn't necessary to transfer. Kathleen professionally expressed her clinically experienced opinion and shared the fact that with the guidelines for stroke recovery changing to 24 hours for what could be offered to this veteran, it is important that he be transferred to a facility such as Mission that could provide advanced treatment. The ED provider continued to insist the patient was not being transferred. When the hospitalist was finally consulted, Kathleen again expressed her concerns to him and shared that the family was upset and wanted him transferred so he could have every chance. After the hospitalist spoke with the family and evaluated the patient, he advocated for the patient to be transferred and explained to the ED Provider that MRI/MRA would not be possible at the VA until Wednesday; after the holidays.
After several hours the patient was transferred to Mission Hospital where he received the care he needed.
I commend Kathleen for her excellent care, her persistence in advocating for her patient in spite of the resistance, and also being compassionate to a family that was already feeling "guilty" for bypassing the nearest hospital and not seeking care quicker.
Even under the stress of time, Kathleen did not let the resistance from the ED provider stop her from doing what was the best for the veteran she was caring for in the ED. Her advocacy is an example for all to follow, always fight for what is in the best interest of the patient regardless of the roadblocks placed in your path.
Thank you, Kathleen, for taking such good care of this veteran and his family, and for being an example of why we became nurses and what it means to be a patient advocate.
Kathleen automatically met resistance from the ED provider, who dug his feet in refusing to even consider the transfer, saying that his 3 hour window had been reached and it wasn't necessary to transfer. Kathleen professionally expressed her clinically experienced opinion and shared the fact that with the guidelines for stroke recovery changing to 24 hours for what could be offered to this veteran, it is important that he be transferred to a facility such as Mission that could provide advanced treatment. The ED provider continued to insist the patient was not being transferred. When the hospitalist was finally consulted, Kathleen again expressed her concerns to him and shared that the family was upset and wanted him transferred so he could have every chance. After the hospitalist spoke with the family and evaluated the patient, he advocated for the patient to be transferred and explained to the ED Provider that MRI/MRA would not be possible at the VA until Wednesday; after the holidays.
After several hours the patient was transferred to Mission Hospital where he received the care he needed.
I commend Kathleen for her excellent care, her persistence in advocating for her patient in spite of the resistance, and also being compassionate to a family that was already feeling "guilty" for bypassing the nearest hospital and not seeking care quicker.
Even under the stress of time, Kathleen did not let the resistance from the ED provider stop her from doing what was the best for the veteran she was caring for in the ED. Her advocacy is an example for all to follow, always fight for what is in the best interest of the patient regardless of the roadblocks placed in your path.
Thank you, Kathleen, for taking such good care of this veteran and his family, and for being an example of why we became nurses and what it means to be a patient advocate.