I recently had the opportunity to work with one of your nurses, Theresa Tarwater, who administered excellent care for one of our cancer patients from the PACU after having a chest tube placed. The patient was having difficulty maintaining her oxygen levels and was moved to CSICU for closer monitoring. Soon after arriving to the unit, the patient decompensated and became quite ill. Nurse Tarwater spent the rest of her shift caring for this critically ill patient and went above and beyond to coordinate the patients' care with the pulmonary doctor and myself. Throughout the night, Nurse Tarwater worked diligently and tirelessly to provide the absolute best care for this patient.
Her professionalism was amplified by her clinical knowledge and commitment to the patient's care. Nurse Tarwater left no avenue unexplored. The exceptional level of care was critical to the positive outcome of this patient. I was further impressed with the initiative Nurse Tarwater took to review the patient's history. She simply had a sick patient that had to be admitted to her and she was going to do everything in her power to give the patient the best chance of getting better. No questions asked. Care for the patient first! Failure was not an option for Nurse Tarwater. This is a trademark of a great ICU nurse.
I am quite convinced that the patient only survived the night because the patient was fortunate enough to have Nurse Tarwater as her nurse and the outstanding care she provided through the night. In my 20 years as a physician, I cannot remember having worked with a nurse that was as knowledgeable, competent, compassionate and committed to the care of her patients as Nurse Tarwater. Nurse Tarwater should be a role model for ICU nurses. I cannot tell you how impressed I was with her performance. DCH and our patients are fortunate to have Nurse Theresa Tarwater.