Michelle Ng joined the Blake 11 team in June 2021. She became an RN in 2018. Her previous experience was in a non-medical psychiatry setting. Michelle has distinguished herself for her commitment and diligence in her role. She takes the time to know her patients, is caring, and kind and does not shy away from complex situations. Showcased through an example provided by a physician colleague involving a patient that had been hospitalized repeatedly in psychiatric facilities and seen in many different emergency departments over the course of his lifetime.  

Michelle was caring for a patient who was awake and eating his breakfast, sitting upright and was able to respond to questions. About five hours later, the patient was found to have an acute change in mental status, limited responsiveness, and unequal strength. 

Suspecting that this was more than catatonia, we contacted Neurology, who initially considered this a possible toxic-metabolic encephalopathy, but on further evaluation, recommended a stat CT. The CT revealed what appeared to be a large mass.  The patient was transferred to Neuro-Oncology.  

Given that the patient had no neuroimaging in the past 11+ years, it's possible, if not likely, that many of his psychiatric signs and symptoms could be explained by his brain lesion. 

There are many valuable lessons to be learned from this case. His nurse, Michelle Ng, was fantastic in catching many of these symptoms and thinking broadly about his case, alerting me and the rest of the staff to his acute change in mental status and her level of concern. Michelle caught something with this particular case that many providers at multiple hospitals had not seen, and this led to him receiving what could become life-saving treatment. 

This event represents the type of focused, intentional, and critical thinking that Michelle brings to her practice. With her help, the patient may in fact be able to have life-saving treatment. Michelle is a true DAISY Nurse for her strong patient advocacy.