sherrie combs, BSN, RN, CNOR

We had a young patient come in for surgery who experienced stranger anxiety and was quite timid, hiding behind his mother. He did not do well with crowds or stimulation. Sherrie was very patient to build some rapport with the patient before taking him back for surgery. She walked back and forth in the doorway and making eye contact, so much so, that the patient walked back into the OR with Sherrie holding her hand, thus helping to decrease the anxiety of separation to both the patient and his mother.
Sherrie went above and beyond cradling the patient while he was anesthetized, making a potentially volatile situation with a scared, young patient, much smoother. WE have a saying in surgery that if a patient goes down fighting, they will wake up fighting. The patient did very well post-op, waking up very easily and most importantly NOT agitated.