kimberly giarratano, BSN, CCRN

In January, at Tampa General Hospital's Interventional Radiology Unit, I underwent a lifesaving procedure on a brain aneurysm. Following this, I spent that night and the next day in the Neuroscience ICU. At regular intervals during that night and following days, I was evaluated by members of a remarkable team of residents, nurse practitioners, and critical care nurses. During one routine evaluation performed by one of the critical care nurses around 11:30 that morning, Kim noticed substantial weakness in my left arm and immediately reached out to notify my physician. Within a matter of minutes, I was rushed to Interventional Radiology where the physician and his team performed another angiogram. A blood clot was discovered and removed. Upon reflecting on this day and its events, I recall the nurse practitioner commenting on the quick and decisive actions taken by my nurse, Kim. She captured my nurse's actions in a single phrase that I will never forget. "Cracker Jack" was how she chose to describe the critical evaluation Nurse Kim had performed and acted on. I would describe it as "Life-Saving" and will always remember how one nurse took a routine evaluation, applied her critical skills and acute observations and set in motion a life-saving event.