We currently have a patient on the unit that is underinsured and of a troubled population. During his admission, we found that he had a retinal detachment which would lead to blindness if not cared for correctly and quickly. Our team was having difficulty finding a physician in the area that would accept the patient due to either insurance, his medical condition or his history.
Tiffany spent over 8 hours of her day calling nearly every ophthalmologist and eye specialist in the surrounding counties trying to find someone who would accept this patient so that he would not lose his vision. When I asked Tiffany why she was spending her day doing this, opposed to having other resources that would normally take care of these issues, she said because everyone was letting it fall back on a new physician and she couldn't live with herself if this patient lost sight when she stood by and did nothing to help.
Thanks to Tiffany's proactive behavior, persistence and compassion we are scheduled to transfer the patient to another facility today to receive the care that is needed. Tiffany truly demonstrated our values of dignity, excellence, and responsibility by going above and beyond her role as Charge Nurse to find care for a patient.