Margie is a staff nurse and relief charge nurse in the Critical Care unit. In her role as a staff nurse Margie cares for the most critical patients and works collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team to improve outcomes. Margie has an excellent relationship with the Medical Staff of Saint Clare's and uses this relationship to help in her role as a patient advocate.
This past December, a 22-year-old man was admitted to the PCU for alcoholic pancreatitis. The patient quickly progressed to the point that he required intensive care and was transferred to the Critical Care unit where he remained for 47 days. During this time the patient was critically ill, in multi system organ failure and required multiple procedures and surgeries to try to save his life.
In January, despite sedation and restraints, the patient pulled out his tracheostomy and sustained a life threatening hemorrhage that required surgical intervention during the night. When Margie arrived in the morning the patient she had cared for was extremely critical and looked as if he would not make it. When Margie saw her patient, she quickly took his hand and told him she was going to do everything she could to help him, and Margie was true to her word.
She quickly realized that the bleeding required further intervention and she would not take no for an answer when the ENT physician told her he would be in after seeing other patients. Margie persisted with the physician until he agreed to come in and revaluate her patient. Upon arrival the physician addressed the bleeding and acknowledged Margie's precise assessment skills. Margie's strong sense of patient advocacy helped deliver a positive outcome for a young critically ill patient who eventually recovered and was discharged from the hospital.