Natinael M Solomon
May 2024
Natinael M
Solomon
,
RN
Emergency Department
Emory Decatur Hospital
Decatur
,
GA
United States

 

 

 

Nate went to their son's bedside, and while he was mentally handicapped, he was able to communicate to verify the name the police gave us. You could see on his face the relief he felt knowing someone understood him.
Nurse Nate spent 2 hours giving directions to an Amharic-speaking family that did not know how to use GPS. Nate went to the patient's bedside when it was not his patient. The patient came in by EMS as a John Doe and believed to be a nonverbal person with a mental handicap. With the help of Dekalb police detectives, the parents were found. Dekalb Police advised the parents did not speak any English and but spoke Tigrinya. Tigrinya and Amharic are the two major languages of Ethiopia, where Nate moved from. Nate went to their son's bedside, and while he was mentally handicapped, he was able to communicate to verify the name the police gave us. You could see on his face the relief he felt knowing someone understood him. Nate then called the parents to see if they were coming, but they were lost. They were elderly, new to the country, and non-English speaking. They did not know how to use GPS. Nate spent 2 hours on and off the phone giving them directions to the Emergency Room. Nate gave them his cell phone number so they could call when they arrived. This was now well past his shift but Nate stayed to make them feel calm in such a stressful situation. Nate gave them such peace, knowing someone just like them was looking out for their son. Again, this was a patient who was not assigned to him, but he answered the call of duty to help.