Leslie was taking care of a patient who was a re-admission for cellulitis of the leg. Leslie noticed that the leg was very large and red and was concerned for DVT on top of the cellulitis. She brought her concern to the physician who told her it was unnecessary to do an ultrasound since the patient just had one done during his previous admission eight days ago and thought the swelling and redness would subside with the antibiotics.
Luckily for this patient, Leslie had him again the next day and her gut feeling said there was something more going on with his leg. There was a different physician assigned to the patient the next day so again Leslie voiced her concern pushing for an ultrasound believing that there was something more than cellulitis going on with this patient's leg. The hospitalist listened to her concerns and ordered an ultrasound of the patient's leg. When the report came back, not only did the patient have a DVT, but there were DVTs in four different veins in the leg.
If not for Leslie advocating for this patient who knows how long this could have gone untreated and what other detrimental effects could have ensued. This is the kind of nurse, Leslie is. She advocates for every single one of her patients no matter the situation. She gives her heart, body, and mind to these patients and we would all be lucky to have her as a nurse for ourselves or our family members. I am proud to be part of her team and she inspires me to work harder and continue to advocate for our patients every day. She is an extraordinary nurse.
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Note: This is Leslie's second DAISY Award!