Lisa Seeman, RN

Lisa was nominated for the actions she took during the following interaction with a Veteran. Ms. Seeman was contacted by a Veteran stating that he had been in an accident with his semi-truck/trailer while out of state. He was verbally shaken and sobbing when speaking with Lisa. He stated that he knew he could contact her for support because she had always “been there for him whenever he needed someone to talk to”. The veteran reported that he was feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances of his life, as trying to make things work but felt like a failure. He states that it was too painful to continue living and wanted to take his own life. He reported that he had a knife to his throat moments earlier but knew that would be the coward's way out of things and decided to call Ms. Seeman instead. After a brief assessment of the situation, the Veteran agreed to remain on the telephone with Lisa while she contacted 911. Local authorities provided her with emergency contact information for the area. Lisa was able to alternate between the Veteran and authorities in Georgia. While waiting for police to arrive, she coached him on how to remain safe and how to surrender his weapon when they arrived. He asked for confirmation that it was the “right thing to do.” He trusted her and valued that she would keep him safe during this process. She provided therapeutic communication and reassurance throughout the encounter. Emergency personnel arrived on the scene, and the Veteran agreed to an emergent evaluation and was escorted to the local ED without incident.

The veteran contacted Ms. Seeman’s supervisor to express his appreciation and gratitude for the support and wonderful care provided by Ms. Seeman on “a very, very bad day” for him. Congratulations, and thank you for your dedicated care and support to our Veterans!