Keri Buchanon
October 2020
Keri
Buchanon
,
RN, BSN
SICU
Valley Hospital
Keri took it upon herself to go above and beyond for this patient and paid the fee out of her own pocket.
Nomination 1:
Keri was recovering a fresh open-heart patient when she heard a patient yell from the room next to hers in a panicked voice. She immediately left and went to the patient's room and she found him sitting up in a chair and his fistula for dialysis had blown open. The patient was hemorrhaging blood everywhere. Keri quickly applied pressure and yelled for help. She held pressure for 45 minutes until a surgeon could arrive and the patient's life was saved. Keri did not let a patient's cry go unchecked, she had every reason to stay where she was. We are not supposed to pass any light or call and because Keri quickly checked, this patient's life was saved.
Update from the following week: We awarded Keri, as we always do, on her unit (SICU) with all of her teammates around her-witnessing and celebrating with her. Two days later, a Nurse on her unit was also able to attend quickly to a patient in need, because she was reminded by Keri that every call light, every cry, is a life to be saved.
*****
Nomination 2:
A discharged patient called SICU requesting assistance with his FMLA paperwork. Keri was the one who answered the phone and spoke with the patient. Keri asked me how she would go about getting assistance in getting his FMLA paperwork filled out. I informed her to try to call the doctor's office to see if they can expedite the process for the patient.
After rounds, I checked in with Keri to see if she was able to resolve the situation. Keri informed me that she spoke to the office and they required a fee of $34.00 to expedite FMLA paperwork. The patient informed Keri that he could not at this time afford the fee due to being out of work from being in the hospital. Keri took it upon herself to go above and beyond for this patient and paid the fee out of her own pocket in order to get the FMLA paperwork expedited for the patient. The patient thanked her and was able to get the FMLA paperwork filled out in time for his work. Keri is a shining example of the compassion that nurses have for their patients and the community!
Keri was recovering a fresh open-heart patient when she heard a patient yell from the room next to hers in a panicked voice. She immediately left and went to the patient's room and she found him sitting up in a chair and his fistula for dialysis had blown open. The patient was hemorrhaging blood everywhere. Keri quickly applied pressure and yelled for help. She held pressure for 45 minutes until a surgeon could arrive and the patient's life was saved. Keri did not let a patient's cry go unchecked, she had every reason to stay where she was. We are not supposed to pass any light or call and because Keri quickly checked, this patient's life was saved.
Update from the following week: We awarded Keri, as we always do, on her unit (SICU) with all of her teammates around her-witnessing and celebrating with her. Two days later, a Nurse on her unit was also able to attend quickly to a patient in need, because she was reminded by Keri that every call light, every cry, is a life to be saved.
*****
Nomination 2:
A discharged patient called SICU requesting assistance with his FMLA paperwork. Keri was the one who answered the phone and spoke with the patient. Keri asked me how she would go about getting assistance in getting his FMLA paperwork filled out. I informed her to try to call the doctor's office to see if they can expedite the process for the patient.
After rounds, I checked in with Keri to see if she was able to resolve the situation. Keri informed me that she spoke to the office and they required a fee of $34.00 to expedite FMLA paperwork. The patient informed Keri that he could not at this time afford the fee due to being out of work from being in the hospital. Keri took it upon herself to go above and beyond for this patient and paid the fee out of her own pocket in order to get the FMLA paperwork expedited for the patient. The patient thanked her and was able to get the FMLA paperwork filled out in time for his work. Keri is a shining example of the compassion that nurses have for their patients and the community!