Norma Menendez is always dedicated and through in her nursing practice. She looks out for her patients and their best interest, even if it means she has to question a physician. As nurses, we know that doing that really takes a lot of courage. No one likes to be challenged when they have given an order, especially someone that is a specialist in their field.
I witnessed Norma's very respectful question to a doctor who wanted his patient to be discharged. She felt very uncomfortable, because the patient had a recent diagnosed PE that we're treating, her anticoagulant medications were being changed and had not yet reached therapeutic levels. The surgeon wanted to discharge the patient that evening and even though she expressed her concerns with two different phone calls explaining why she didn't feel comfortable and she did not believe the patient was stable for discharge, as well as the patient stated she didn't feel as though she were ready to go home yet. Norma, then called the IM doctor to update him on the patient's status before she discharged her she also made him aware of her concerns. He agreed that the patient's should stay one more night. The patient remained stable throughout the night, and may have been fine going home, but I know that Norma could go home tonight and sleep well, not questioning her decision to discharge the patient and whether or not she had done what was in the best interest for the patient.