I had the privilege of working beside Nathan while taking care of a cardiac patient, who was on a balloon pump, as well as ECMO. My ECMO partner and I came from a completely different nursing backgrounds than Nathan. He is a strong SICU Charge Nurse and we are from the pediatric background. This SICU adult patient became our patient for the next 12 hours. We each then received report from all nursing staff and ECMO team members. This ensured we were all on the same page caring for this patient and keeping the family informed. We each verified medication drips and plan of care for this patient.
Although we have never worked together, his knowledge of the cardiac balloon pump was shared with us, to make us a little more comfortable caring for this patient and ensuring more eyes were able to discern if a problem was arising. We shared a brief run-down of what our machine was doing and what concerns we had from our position. We were able to formulate a plan of care and determine the best way to stabilize this patient and assess all areas of patient care from vital signs, to lab work, to clinical findings that concerned the nursing staff. We were able to use Nathan and his CN as a sounding board as well as a liaison with NP/Physician notifications.
That evening, we were informed our patient would be transferred to Oklahoma and the transport team was in route. Nathan then worked very hard to make sure the patient was the most stable he had been since our arrival. He verified medications for transport and had them ordered and ready for the team. He cleaned the patient up to ensure we assessed every aspect of the patient's condition to be able to give a thorough report and an accurate assessment. He kept the family up to date with everything we did and answered all questions in a manner they could understand, he never once tried to speak over their heads and reassured them, if there was even the slightest change, he would let them know. When the transport team arrived, he was able to work cohesively with their team and assisted in all cares the team would need to make sure this transfer and transport went smoothly.
After we transferred this patient and were about to leave the unit, an unforeseen event took place. Nathan immediately jumped into action attempting to sop an arterial bleed until an MD/surgeon was available. Nathan was able to stay calm and address what he needed at this time. He then delegated members of the team to assist and he began compressions as needed. You could see in his face and hear in his voice the determination to do everything possible to correct this situation. Never once did he raise his voice, he spoke clearly and direct and made sure our team of four different specialties worked cohesively and did not stop until an MD was available to take over the situation. At the end of this event, Nathan dealt with a physician issue in a very professional manner, supporting and standing up for his team in a respectful way. He then calmly stepped back and began cleaning the patient's room, getting the patient and room ready for the family to be able to see their loved one.
Nathan is one of the BEST examples I have seen of a DAISY Nurse. He went above and beyond for not only the patient but for everyone in the SICU that night. Nathan was kind, compassionate, sincere and - more than anything - passionate about his job and the care he gave this patient and family. Nurses like Nathan set the bar high for the rest of the nursing community and I was so blessed to be able to learn from him as a nurse, as a leader, and as a co-worker. Covenant should be proud of what an amazing nurse they have giving the best possible care or our patients and families.