Serena Ojeda
March 2024
Serena
Ojeda
,
RN
Cardiovascular Telemetry
Tampa General Hospital
Tampa
,
FL
United States
She talked me through her every step. Her sense of urgency was readily apparent, yet she didn’t cause me to panic.
Overnight nurse Serena Ojeda in the H cardiac step-down unit is responsible for saving my dad’s life. My family and I are compelled to nominate her for a DAISY Award so that others can be inspired by the compassion and expertise she displayed over two difficult shifts.
My dad had been experiencing severe delirium for a couple of days, a foreboding sign of a re-emerging case of sepsis. My mom and I called the desk to check on him, and Serena told us that he was refusing to take his medications, which was shocking to us. We called him on his room phone, which she encouraged, and we persuaded him to trust Serena. We remained on the line while he slept, then we heard Serena rush in because he had tried to get out of bed, a dangerous attempt having not walked solo in weeks. Her voice was firm yet soothing and encouraging as she helped resettle him—I cried in gratitude for her respect for a suffering human’s dignity.
It was difficult dealing with my dad's delirium and his elevated vital signs. It was serendipity that Serena was assigned to my dad for a consecutive overnight shift. On her own time, she had done more research on delirium in hospital patients. And as I settled in to stay overnight, she said that families are always appreciated as part of a patient’s care.
She applied a nasal cannula, showing me how to use the oxygen mask in an emergency. My dad developed a 99-degree fever, and that was enough to raise her alarms. She contacted rapid response, who told her to check his temperature once an hour. She came in every 15 minutes. His temperature quickly rose by 3 degrees. We applied ice packs to his head and groin, and she continued to agitate for a rapid response visit. She talked me through her every step. Her sense of urgency was readily apparent, yet she didn’t cause me to panic. Then while the rapid response was in our room, my dad’s blood pressure dropped drastically. ICU doctors determined that he needed to be put on life support. I nodded to her as we left the floor, not knowing whether my dad would survive but knowing that our unsung overnight nurse did the best she could to give him a chance.
I imagine that nurses who work the overnight shift are often overlooked, and I hope that our unsung hero gets her due recognition.
My dad had been experiencing severe delirium for a couple of days, a foreboding sign of a re-emerging case of sepsis. My mom and I called the desk to check on him, and Serena told us that he was refusing to take his medications, which was shocking to us. We called him on his room phone, which she encouraged, and we persuaded him to trust Serena. We remained on the line while he slept, then we heard Serena rush in because he had tried to get out of bed, a dangerous attempt having not walked solo in weeks. Her voice was firm yet soothing and encouraging as she helped resettle him—I cried in gratitude for her respect for a suffering human’s dignity.
It was difficult dealing with my dad's delirium and his elevated vital signs. It was serendipity that Serena was assigned to my dad for a consecutive overnight shift. On her own time, she had done more research on delirium in hospital patients. And as I settled in to stay overnight, she said that families are always appreciated as part of a patient’s care.
She applied a nasal cannula, showing me how to use the oxygen mask in an emergency. My dad developed a 99-degree fever, and that was enough to raise her alarms. She contacted rapid response, who told her to check his temperature once an hour. She came in every 15 minutes. His temperature quickly rose by 3 degrees. We applied ice packs to his head and groin, and she continued to agitate for a rapid response visit. She talked me through her every step. Her sense of urgency was readily apparent, yet she didn’t cause me to panic. Then while the rapid response was in our room, my dad’s blood pressure dropped drastically. ICU doctors determined that he needed to be put on life support. I nodded to her as we left the floor, not knowing whether my dad would survive but knowing that our unsung overnight nurse did the best she could to give him a chance.
I imagine that nurses who work the overnight shift are often overlooked, and I hope that our unsung hero gets her due recognition.