I nominate Tawni Stephens, RN, for her extraordinary efforts on behalf of one of our trauma patients. The trauma service, in collaboration with Nursing, Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery, Infectious Disease, Physiatrist, Behavioral Health, the Pain Service, Child Life, Social Work, Nutrition, and Occupational and Physical Therapy has been caring for a 10-year-old boy who was hit by a train since March 31. This child has undergone 10 surgeries to date, including an above the knee amputation and a skin graft. He has suffered from the physical and emotional sequelae of his injury and pain management has been a key component of his care. Yesterday, Wednesday, was a rough day for this patient- he had gone to the OR with Ortho on Monday and on Tuesday with Plastics (planned to be on subsequent days). He was very uncomfortable and Tawni was on the phone throughout the day with the Pain Service trying to adjust the patient's pain medicine and control his pain. The Pain Service was very busy and not able to come to the bedside as quickly as Tawni, the patient and the mother would have hoped. Tawni worked tirelessly, using all of the pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic options available to her, to keep this patient as comfortable as possible. She also regularly followed up with the Pain Service to ensure that that someone would be up as soon as possible to evaluate the patient, talk with the mother, and make any indicated changes.
Tawni advocated for this patient steadfastly and professionally, using all of her communication and nursing skills on his behalf. The patient's mother also expressed her recognition of Tawni's efforts to me, and her gratitude as well. I told the patient's mother that I was going to nominate Tawni for the DAISY Award and she was very pleased. The patient's mother is very grateful, overall, for the multidisciplinary care that her son has received, but we both recognize that Tawni's efforts on this particular day were above and beyond. I am very certain that she did not take a break or eat lunch until well after the Pain Service was able to evaluate him again in the mid-afternoon. Tawni exemplified ALL of our CHP values- patients and families first, dignity and respect, quality and safety, responsibility and integrity, excellence and innovation, and caring and listening in her care of this patient and his mother. We are fortunate to have her caring for our patients at CHP.