Najawa
Harris
January 2012
Najawa
Harris
,
RN
Telemetry
SSM Health DePaul Hospital
Bridgeton
,
MO
United States

 

 

 

Najawa cared for a patient who many had written off as being a “drug addict” and “noncompliant”. During the patient’s admission, she was diagnosed with throat cancer and failed a swallow evaluation. She was quickly scheduled for a trach and PEG. Najawa not only supported this patient during the diagnosis by the physician, but through the rest of her hospital stay in the ICU and 2N. The patient called the unit every day once she could speak again and continues to call to talk to Najawa post discharge on a daily basis. Najawa visited this patient during her work shifts and has continued to provide the type of compassionate nursing care that goes beyond passing medications.