Taylor always does wonderful with our PICU patients and families, but this situation was extraordinary. Taylor was caring for a school-aged boy who had severe autism. It was obvious he was out of his comfortable routine while in the hospital, and he was very agitated by his surroundings. Taylor quickly realized that this child was unable to communicate his needs in any other way but combativeness. He was unable to follow commands or requests which made caring for him a bit more of a challenge. However, Taylor accepted the challenge with grace. She went above and beyond to meet this child's needs. She made his safety her top priority and got creative to help give him autonomy where she could. Taylor worked phenomenally with this boy's mother to make sure he was able to use the restroom and walk about his room in a safe way. Taylor removed any unsafe items from the patient's room and decreased any sensory overloads she was physically able to. Taylor empowered this boy's mother and made it known that her son's care would not be compromised during his stay at Children's.
As the morning went on, and the patient returned to his usual state of health, Taylor advocated for an early discharge. She communicated quickly and efficiently to the medical team that the PICU environment was not conducive to this child's healing and he needed an expedited discharge. She remained calm through all of her care and was patient with the child even when it meant a task would take ten times as long to complete. Not once did she get frustrated with the circumstances as they were unique and difficult. In all reality, it is very hard to care for a child who is unknowingly aggressive towards you. Yet, she made sure his needs were met. She collaborated with the charge nurse, fellow, and attending to ensure there was appropriate discharge education provided to the mother in a timely manner.
As we were preparing him to leave the unit, he was getting increasingly agitated. There were multiple staff members trying to redirect him and keep him safe. I noticed how receptive he had become to his nurse, Taylor. She had developed a unique rapport with him and was able to calm him and distract him in ways no one else in the unit was able to. The child life specialist even made it a point to recognize how incredible of a job Taylor did caring for this patient. Might I add, our child life specialists are pretty incredible so when they say a situation was challenging, that is speaking volumes about Taylor's ability!
As the mom left the unit, she expressed her sincere gratitude to the unit, and I know that Taylor's care is what made this mom so appreciative. What could have been an extended stay full of stressful moments was mitigated due to Taylor's advocacy. As Taylor was walking them out of the unit, us group of nurses all looked at each other and agreed on what a phenomenal job Taylor did caring for that child.