I’d like to tell a story about the amazing group of individuals I work with. A few months ago, we cared for an elderly woman in the 7ICU unit that was a complicated open heart patient. She was with us for quite some time, so needless to say the staff had become quite attached to her and her family.
Late one evening, after leaving the ICU, her husband was involved in a car accident on his way home. He was seen, treated and released from another hospital. The following morning, the social worker came into the unit to talk to the patient and family. She told the nurse, Rachel, that she had called the house earlier to talks to her husband about her rehab plan and that he had had an accident. She said he didn’t sound like himself. Rachel decided to call the house & talk to him. She was taken aback by the husband’s story about the accident as well as the description of how he was feeling. She was very concerned about what she was able to assess- even if it was over the phone. Rachel tried to convince him to call an ambulance or return to the local hospital (he had been discharged from) right away but he would not.
After hanging up, she still felt uneasy. She discussed it with another nurse, Sharlene, as she knew him best after caring for his wife so often. Sharlene called him right away as well, and again tried to persuade him to seek treatment. He declined. Rachel & Sharlene didn’t give up. They got hold of his children as well as his Dr. and explained how uncomfortable they were with the situation. The physician came to the unit right away.
They called him again and were able to convince him to come to the hospital if his children would come and get him. The physician then called the trauma surgeon on call and let him know that Mrs. X’s husband was coming and that no one felt good about how he was doing. The Dr. agreed to meet him in the ED on arrival. Mr. X arrived just in time. He was in acute distress by then and needed to be emergently intubated. He was in critical condition with multiple rib fractures, a hemo pneumo and a BP of 60. He was admitted to and stayed in the ICU for an extended period of time before transferring to a SNF.
I’d like to give credit to a social worker that recognized a change and talked to a nurse. Then a nurse that trusted her gut! She didn’t give up but rather enlisted the other members of the team and did what needed to be done. It would have been easy for all to just go on their busy day but thank goodness they didn’t. Thank you Rachel and Sharlene. This is just one example of the camaraderie, care and commitment we show our patients and their families every day. Their dedication truly makes a difference in the lives of those we serve.