Natasha Patti, MSN

One time we had a patient come into the emergency department in severe emotional distress. The patient also came in with her emotional support dog. Due to how critical the patient's condition was, the hospital was arranging for the dog to be placed in a shelter with no guarantee of the owner being able to receive the dog back. Natasha ensured patient safety first and then created an action plan for the dog and the owner to be reconnected. This plan included Natasha bringing the dog home to her personal home (the patient agreed with this). Natasha cared for this dog for 10 days on her own. She recognized how vital the dog was to the patient's healing and safety.