Every new nurse's nightmare is when they are suddenly the primary nurse during their first code. Nine months later, I remember that day perfectly. My patient went unresponsive out of nowhere. Being a relatively new nurse, I was terrified, but I really attempted to keep my composure. The patient had a pulse, but I immediately called the help team and checked the patient's blood sugar. That day, Lois Hershey answered the phone and immediately responded to the bedside. Luckily, Lois was right around the corner. Upon her arrival, we lost the patient's pulse. Lois quickly began compressions while I called the code. I was amazed at the teamwork from everyone that day; inspired actually. Lois swapped out with the evening Rapid Response nurse, but I felt her support during the entire process. Unfortunately, the patient did not make it. It was not only my first code, but my first time losing a patient, a patient who was perfectly fine less than 5 minutes prior. The following day, Lois did not hesitate to see how I was doing. Losing my first patient, I felt there could have been something I could have done differently or something more that I could have done. Lois quickly corrected me and stated that I did everything correctly and that sometimes, no matter what, some situations may not work out the way we desire. Although I still felt guilty, Lois listed everything that I did that day to make it clear that the patient's death was beyond my control. I honestly felt the guilt I had resolved (well, decreased) after talking with Lois. Yes, the Rapid Response team is there to respond to any urgent situation at the hospital and be a resource to many, but the amount of support Lois continues to provide for myself and others never goes unnoticed.  My memory of my first code was a great educational experience, thanks to Lois.

Note: This is Lois's 2nd DAISY Award!