Renita Mcgowen
October 2021
Renita
Mcgowen
,
BSN, RN
Home Based Primary Care
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Houston
,
TX
United States

 

 

 

Renita stayed on the telephone with the patient’s daughter for over thirty minutes actively listening to the daughter, not discussing her father’s care, but voicing how she was feeling personally.
While having lunch with this nurse, she received a telephone call from one of her patient’s daughters. The daughter was calling her because her father was in the Emergency room here at VAMC and she was upset because she could not go in with her father. I watched as this nurse stopped eating to take the telephone call. She explained to the daughter the safety measures that were in place due to COVID-19; however, the daughter was still upset. This nurse then left her lunch and placed a call to the Emergency Department to explain the situation to the Triage nurse for assist in allowing the family member to see her father. The triage nurse allowed the family a quick visit with her father. The daughter then called after leaving the ED thanking this nurse for assisting her with being able to see her father even though it was just for a few seconds. This nurse, who was still on her lunch, took the telephone call without hesitation. This nurse stayed on the telephone with the patient’s daughter for over thirty minutes actively listening to the daughter, not discussing her father’s care, but voicing how she was feeling personally. I already knew how great of a nurse this nurse was, how attentive she is to her patients and their family; but to see her go OVER and BEYOND for her patient’s daughter while putting aside her self-care need, in my opinion, deserves recognition. We here in Home Base Primary Care call her the Mother of HBPC, and the entire MEDVAMC should know what a great person and excellent Nurse and a Veteran herself HBPC has providing care to our Nation’s Veterans.