Rachel Inhulsen, RN

Rachel Inhulsen floated up to the MSICU to care for a donation after cardiac death donor. Due to the patient's age and donor status, she was ineligible to donate her heart or lungs. Upon assessing the patient at the beginning of her shift, Rachel identified that the patient's condition could be consistent with brain death. Rachel coordinated with LifeLink and the neurocritical care team to conduct brain death testing, which revealed the patient was indeed brain dead and was transferred to the Organ Recovery Center. Since the patient's donor status changed to donation after brain death and because less strict criteria are used in brain death organ allocation than in cardiac death allocation, the patient was eligible to donate her heart and lungs. Due to time constraints placed on the patient's course of care, the heart was unable to be placed, but the patient's lungs, liver, and kidneys were transplanted. Rachel's questioning attitude, advocacy, and attention to detail enabled a very sick patient to receive a lifesaving lung transplant and allowed the donor to leave a larger legacy as their final gift.