Sarah Ahern
July 2022
Sarah
Ahern
,
RN
Medical-Surgical Acute Care
UVA Health
Charlottesville
,
VA
United States
Sarah saved this patient from a terrible outcome. Her analytical and thoughtful approach to nursing provides us all with an inspiring example of excellence.
There are often stories in healthcare that celebrate dramatic events and extraordinary situations. What is rarer, and also vitally important, are the stories of prevention and rescue; like Sarah's story of saving the life of her 80-year-old patient. Mr. Z had been in the hospital, then rehabilitation, for almost a month before being readmitted with a new abscess near his pancreas. When Sarah assumed care of the patient he had slept overnight and described feeling weak but ok. Sara has exceptional assessment skills so after the bedside report she immediately went in to see this high-risk patient first.
Sarah's excellent nursing practice combines her physical examination with the actions of turning, repositioning, and bathing her patients. This allowed her to quickly develop a supportive relationship with the patient and his anxious family. Approximately 60 minutes after her initial assessment she went back to check on Mr. Z as she remained alert and concerned about his respiratory status. She noticed a subtle change in his work of breathing. Sarah gently began to ask the patient about his breathing since his measured vital signs did not show any changes. Her attention to his small change helped him to share that "he really wasn't feeling ok". Sarah created the space for this former healthcare professional to be a patient, not the stoic patriarch. She checked his oxygen saturation, reapplied nasal cannula oxygen, and contacted his primary team with her concerns. The physicians had rounded on the patient earlier that morning and deemed him to be improving.
Sarah was not convinced and remained steadfast in her vigilance. A short while later Sarah noted that his respiratory rate was elevated again. She persisted and again notified the physicians while also activating the medical emergency team. Mr. Z had a massive pulmonary embolism in progress. Thanks to Sarah's astute and expert nursing care this was identified early. Treatment was quickly initiated. The life-threatening nature of a PE is real. Sarah saved this patient from a terrible outcome. Her analytical and thoughtful approach to nursing provides us all with an inspiring example of excellence.
Sarah's excellent nursing practice combines her physical examination with the actions of turning, repositioning, and bathing her patients. This allowed her to quickly develop a supportive relationship with the patient and his anxious family. Approximately 60 minutes after her initial assessment she went back to check on Mr. Z as she remained alert and concerned about his respiratory status. She noticed a subtle change in his work of breathing. Sarah gently began to ask the patient about his breathing since his measured vital signs did not show any changes. Her attention to his small change helped him to share that "he really wasn't feeling ok". Sarah created the space for this former healthcare professional to be a patient, not the stoic patriarch. She checked his oxygen saturation, reapplied nasal cannula oxygen, and contacted his primary team with her concerns. The physicians had rounded on the patient earlier that morning and deemed him to be improving.
Sarah was not convinced and remained steadfast in her vigilance. A short while later Sarah noted that his respiratory rate was elevated again. She persisted and again notified the physicians while also activating the medical emergency team. Mr. Z had a massive pulmonary embolism in progress. Thanks to Sarah's astute and expert nursing care this was identified early. Treatment was quickly initiated. The life-threatening nature of a PE is real. Sarah saved this patient from a terrible outcome. Her analytical and thoughtful approach to nursing provides us all with an inspiring example of excellence.