Monica Shehan, Student Nurse

Monica has always been attentive to her clients. She attended clinical at Nash UNC Health Care in the Cardio-Pulmonary Support Unit (CPSU) in Fall 2021. One clinical day, early in the shift after the morning report, Monica performed her head-to-toe physical assessment. Prior to performing her assessment, it was mentioned in report by the nightshift nurse that the client had been “a little sleepy” and that the day shift nurse should “let the day shift physician know” about the client’s changes. Monica noticed that the client was showing symptoms of a stroke including facial drops, slurred speech, and uneven pupils. Monica quickly notified her team leader, D, and then notified me (nursing instructor). I told Monica that the primary nurse should be notified, call a code stroke and perform an NIH assessment. Monica acted very quickly. Monica noticed those signs of a stroke and also noticed that there was a change in the client’s status. Monica has shown excellent clinical judgment during that clinical rotation.