Theresa Wolfe has demonstrated extreme courage and exemplary nursing practice in the most challenging of times. From the moment that COVID-19 became a prevalent issue for the community and health care establishments in New Jersey, Theresa asked how she could help. She was one of two volunteers who approached management, stepping up to the plate to train for the special SWAT precautions required to see COVID-19 positive patients and patients under investigation. From the time she trained in March, Theresa has been visiting COVID-19 patients routinely; in doing so, she has taken the time to organize efforts with teammates for safety and has coordinated schedules with patients to triage cases daily based on the level of precautions. Theresa has been an amazing advocate for these patients during their most vulnerable time. She has demonstrated remarkable compassion and has documented thoroughly so these patients could achieve clearance at the soonest possible date for interdisciplinary care. Besides being a beautiful face of the VNA Health Group during this pandemic, she has also exercised patience and consideration for teammates who are weaning into the training, by taking the time to go over steps with them individually and providing reassurance about the effectiveness of the process. Teammates have verbalized on multiple occasions how relieved they felt after spending time with Theresa and observing her well-structured process. This is the kind of teamwork and patient-centered care we all admire.
Because Theresa is so humble, I feel it is my duty to share with VNAHG some details about the wonderful work she has done recently. In early April, C.M., a long-term patient of another branch, became ill with respiratory symptoms indicative of COVID-19. The patient and daughter were tested for COVID-19, and while awaiting results, the patient was marked a 'patient under investigation,' requiring the SWAT team for visits. The branch did not have a SWAT team available for visits that weekend, and the patient required a visit for wound care to 13 wounds. Theresa and a fellow SWAT nurse/ teammate volunteered to see this patient for a revisit. They demonstrated excellent teamwork, supporting one another to get this patient's care completed in the safest and most effective way. Theresa used her nursing ingenuity to determine that it was best, in this case, to trade-off mid-visit, because the heat in the home and the physical work involved with completing the care resulted in substantial sweating and fogging of the goggles. After Theresa completed the wound care on the patient's left side, she came out to trade-off with her teammate, who then went in and completed the wound care on the right side. The patient received the much-needed care, and the nurses supported one another throughout the process, in order to ensure that they both remained as safe and effective as possible in this scenario. Thankfully, this patient and her daughter were able to obtain their COVID-19 test results early the following week, and the results were negative, so the routine care team was able to resume in the home. Theresa has been a SWAT genius, providing patient-centered care and working in collaboration with other nurses along the way, helping to ensure that her teammates feel at ease and supported. I just want to say that I consider it an absolute honor to work with such an outstanding RN!