This past weekend I was a visitor to your hospital in the SICU for a patient who passed away last night at approximately 8:30pm. Early Sunday morning I arrived at the SICU with Kathy's family. At the early morning conference with the family, the doctor informed the family that a proposed surgery was not possible due to some very serious issues which had arisen. I was not privy to the specifics as my primary role throughout the day on Sunday was to provide care for their adult son who is autistic. I had many, many opportunities to observe Sabrina West for your hospital's DAISY Award throughout the day as I cared for their son.
Sabrina in SICU should have her picture next to the word "extraordinary" in the dictionary, as she is the definition of "EXTRAordinary".
On one of the walls inside the SICU hangs a poster which displays 3 simple words, "Hands, Mind, Heart".
HANDS-Consistently throughout the day I witnessed Sabrina monitor her patient’s vital signs while inputting data into the computer. She communicated with the father routinely, She cared for her most basic physical needs. She did her job well and she did it in a respectful, quiet, efficient, caring manner which made her nearly invisible. This is not to be taken in any sort of negative light. Having a significant background in athletics as a player and a coach the very best games in which I participated were those games where the competition took place, was highly competitive with a fair result and was refereed/umpired in such a high quality manner that the referees/umpires blended into their environment (and were certainly not the "show" the fans came to watch). When this occurs in an athletic competition it is refreshing and one walks away with the sense that the referees/umpires were of the highest quality. Sabrina, SICU Nurse, is the hands of UCSD SICU.
MIND-As the patient's health deteriorated throughout the day yesterday, one moment in particular stood out in this area. Her father had asked to speak with the assigned doctor regarding some specific questions he had with regards to her prognosis. It is important to note that his day to day work is as a Chaplain at Escondido's Palomar Hospital in the Critical Care Unit. Although not a trained medical professional, he has a deep well of experience and knowledge of identical situations as his family was experiencing. In a situation where Sabrina could have immediately deferred and sought out the doctor and/or become very defensive regarding the care the patient was receiving, Sabrina took a significant amount of time (20 plus minutes) to carefully listen to him, probe his questions more deeply, and then provide what appeared to this layman as highly educated, well understood explanations. She used her medical training and knowledge as well as her communication skills to accurately and compassionately answer his questions. Because Sabrina did her job so well, she allowed the doctor to continue her work with other patients who needed the doctor’s attention. Sabrina, SICU Nurse, is the mind of UCSD SICU.
HEART-Without this, the hands and the mind are like a clanging cymbal which no one cares to listen to...or which is simply obnoxious. Many people have incredible skills and are highly gifted intellectually. Sabrina is most likely near the top of her profession with regard to skills and knowledge. However, what sets Sabrina apart and places her at the top of her profession is her heart. Immediately, she connected at a personal level with the family and friends who were with the patient throughout the day. She answered questions about her condition with an obvious care to her words and tone. She answered the most trivial questions about the location of a nearby Subway sandwich shop with a cheerful demeanor. She took time to interact with their autistic son and demonstrate that she truly cared for him. After the patient was moved from the SICU to the 11th floor, Sabrina went out of her way to ensure her comfort and the family’s adjustment. As she left to return to the SICU, she paused and spoke with many of us, took the time to say a few words and to communicate her caring heart with a slight touch of the hand or hug. Simply amazing. Sabrina, SICU Nurse, is the heart of UCSD SICU.
Thank you for listening to this short recitation of the value of Sabrina’s work. She is an exceptional nurse and woman. You are fortunate to have her as one of your nurses. I respectfully nominate her for a UCSD Medical Center DAISY Award, with great admiration and appreciation for Sabrina.