Terri Hallford
February 2020
Terri
Hallford
,
RN, CMSRN
Med/Surg Oncology
Memorial Hermann - The Woodlands Medical Center
The Woodlands
,
TX
United States
My last day before checkout I was blessed to meet Terri and felt like the Lord sent her to me. With her words of advice and assistance, she played an important part of the next chapter of my life. I was disappointed I could not continue my healthcare at Memorial Hermann because of the type of cancer I was diagnosed with. I will always be thankful for the care given to me during my stay here.
***
Terri has been nominated for The DAISY Award numerous times, which is a testament to the extraordinary skill she possesses and compassionate care she provides to her patients and families. I would like to personally recognize Terri for her professionalism and exceptional care.
I have witnessed Terri on multiple occasions addressing patients and family members' questions about difficult and complicated interventions and procedures. Terri provides clear information and offers an empathetic ear when communicating with her patients. On a recent occasion, Terri was assigned to serve as a resource nurse on PCU5, and she was assisting me with obtaining consent for a procedure for a patient.
The patient was recovering from open-heart surgery after a heart attack and had been discharged to a skilled nursing and rehab facility (SNF) when he developed a complication. The patient had been readmitted for treatment. He had received antibiotics, but it had become evident that he would need surgery and negative pressure wound therapy (wound vac). The patient would have the wound vac in place for several weeks after discharge from the hospital to the SNF.
While obtaining informed consent for the procedure and wound vac application, the patient was very emotional; Terri listened closely to his concerns to discover the root of his fear. Not only did the patient and his wife have multiple questions about the surgery and recovery process, but they also were concerned about the ability of the SNF to manage the wound vac. The patient stated there was a nurse at the SNF that he trusted. Terri was able to learn the name of the nurse and offered to call the SNF and speak directly to the nurse on behalf of the patient and his wife. As it turned out, the nurse at the SNF was a nurse practitioner (NP) who was very familiar with the patient. Terri relayed the patient's concerns to the NP and was able to gain assurance from the NP that the SNF was fully capable of managing the wound vac and that she would be overseeing the care when the patient returned to the SNF.
Terri could have easily walked into the room to complete the task of obtaining informed consent. However, she knew that this patient had recently experienced a number of recent traumatic events such as a heart attack, open-heart surgery, and a wound infection. This patient would now be faced with further emotional distress by undergoing another surgery, receiving more antibiotics, having to wear a wound vac for several weeks, in addition to completing his cardiac rehab. The patient was overwhelmed and Terri took the time to hear his concerns and reach out to someone who could help allay his fears.
This is how Terri practices both the science and art of nursing. I am honored to be her colleague.
***
Terri has been nominated for The DAISY Award numerous times, which is a testament to the extraordinary skill she possesses and compassionate care she provides to her patients and families. I would like to personally recognize Terri for her professionalism and exceptional care.
I have witnessed Terri on multiple occasions addressing patients and family members' questions about difficult and complicated interventions and procedures. Terri provides clear information and offers an empathetic ear when communicating with her patients. On a recent occasion, Terri was assigned to serve as a resource nurse on PCU5, and she was assisting me with obtaining consent for a procedure for a patient.
The patient was recovering from open-heart surgery after a heart attack and had been discharged to a skilled nursing and rehab facility (SNF) when he developed a complication. The patient had been readmitted for treatment. He had received antibiotics, but it had become evident that he would need surgery and negative pressure wound therapy (wound vac). The patient would have the wound vac in place for several weeks after discharge from the hospital to the SNF.
While obtaining informed consent for the procedure and wound vac application, the patient was very emotional; Terri listened closely to his concerns to discover the root of his fear. Not only did the patient and his wife have multiple questions about the surgery and recovery process, but they also were concerned about the ability of the SNF to manage the wound vac. The patient stated there was a nurse at the SNF that he trusted. Terri was able to learn the name of the nurse and offered to call the SNF and speak directly to the nurse on behalf of the patient and his wife. As it turned out, the nurse at the SNF was a nurse practitioner (NP) who was very familiar with the patient. Terri relayed the patient's concerns to the NP and was able to gain assurance from the NP that the SNF was fully capable of managing the wound vac and that she would be overseeing the care when the patient returned to the SNF.
Terri could have easily walked into the room to complete the task of obtaining informed consent. However, she knew that this patient had recently experienced a number of recent traumatic events such as a heart attack, open-heart surgery, and a wound infection. This patient would now be faced with further emotional distress by undergoing another surgery, receiving more antibiotics, having to wear a wound vac for several weeks, in addition to completing his cardiac rehab. The patient was overwhelmed and Terri took the time to hear his concerns and reach out to someone who could help allay his fears.
This is how Terri practices both the science and art of nursing. I am honored to be her colleague.