Rosemary Quarles is one of our home unit RNs. One of our patients became overwhelmed at home and Rosemary drove out to Gordonsville today to help him and support him through his problems. I should say that this is not the first time she has done this. Rosemary is an example of the very best and someone I am proud to work with. She is caring and gives patients reassurance in a way that is truly exemplary. We are proud to have her work at UVA. What prompted this commendation was a progress note in a patient record that we reviewed. Rosemary had received a message from the unit's administrative assistant that this home peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient had called and seemed extremely upset. It was a clinic day for patient visits, Rosemary engaged her team members to cover the rest of her visits so she could go to the patient's home and assist. When she got there, she noted that his cycler was off and he was not performing his PD. After he initially initiated his treatment, he opened a letter from the DMV that his license was now restricted and it impacted his ability to work. He told Rosemary that his GI system was upset, he was anxious, nervous and jittery-feeling overwhelmed by the impact of this chronic disease which requires lifesaving treatments daily. His distraction resulted in his inability to operate the equipment as he had been taught and his abdomen was full with PD solution. Rosemary assessed the patient and assisted him in managing his therapy to drain the fluid to resolve the abdominal discomfort. Most importantly, she demonstrated compassion and understanding in his challenges with his health and helped him to reduce his anxiety. With only a phone call with noted distress, Rosemary immediately responded with a home visit to assist the patient, truly going above and beyond.
Rosemary's ability to apply her knowledge of nephrology nursing to assist and teach patients how to perform their therapy at home, enables patients to manage their disease more independently. But what really makes the difference is her compassion and care and her willingness to assist the patient to be successful in the modality of renal replacement therapy of their choosing.
***
Rosemary quickly develops rapport with every patient she comes in contact with. Rosemary is caring and gives patients reassurance in a way that is truly exemplary. Rosemary embodies excellence in nursing by providing compassionate care. She consistently delivers remarkable care in a very humble way. She goes above and beyond to support every patient. I am very proud to work with Rosemary.
End Stage Renal Disease is a terminal illness. Patients starting dialysis are scared and unsure of what to expect. Rosemary works with patients and teaches them to perform their own dialysis at home. These patients are often more apprehensive, but after training with Rosemary, these patients go home and perform their dialysis with confidence as she has provided the best teaching and prepared them to succeed. This ensures our patients can have an improved quality of life. Rosemary keeps an open line of communication with her home patients via telephone for any issues and offers support in any way she can within her scope of practice. Rosemary reaches out to our Interdisciplinary team for additional support for each patient as necessary. Rosemary truly represents our ASPIRE values:
Accountability: follows policy and procedure, is proactive with patients to avoid potential issues. Diligent with documentation.
Stewardship: performs monthly inventory on unit for supply ordering, checks expiration dates, only orders necessary supplies
Professionalism: Performs in her role in a very humble way, respectful with patients and staff. Graciously offers assistance to teammates without being asked. Listens to the patient.
Integrity: Educates patients with consistency, respects patient confidentiality. Keeps and open line of communication with the doctors, as well as the entire interdisciplinary team to provide the patients with the best care.
Respect: Treats every patient and teammate with respect. Is an active listener. Treats all patients and staff equally. Respects patients and their individual needs when scheduling appointments.
Excellence: Acknowledges all patients respectfully by name. Considers each patient and individual and is aware of their unique needs. Rosemary does all within her power to assist every patient to be successful on home dialysis, ensuring they have better outcomes and an improved quality of life. Promotes growth for both herself, teammates and patients by supporting educational opportunities.