Tove Finch
November 2022
Tove
Finch
,
RN
Emergency Department
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, St Clare Hospital
Lakewood
,
WA
United States

 

 

 

Tove told me she was convinced something was wrong. Thanks to her instincts and her strong patient advocacy, this patient received the care she needed.
On Thursday, I cared for a patient in the Emergency Department who came in for jaw and facial pain. She was triaged by Tove and brought back to my room. After a full workup and extensive testing, we were unable to find anything conclusive and the patient was put up for discharge by the ED doctor. At this point, Tove came to help me discharge the patient and identified that the patient was profoundly hypertensive and still reporting jaw pain. She spoke up and notified the ED doctor that the patient was unstable for discharge and requested that they do another scan. Tove kept saying something was not right. After her urging, the ED doctor ordered a CTA of her head and neck, and it was discovered this patient had a penetrating ulcer to her aorta, which was causing a dissection with significant internal hemorrhage. In the radiologist’s own words, “get the doctor on the phone STAT!” The patient was transferred out within 20 minutes, with lights and sirens, for emergent surgery. From the initial interaction with the patient, Tove told me she was convinced something was wrong. Thanks to her instincts and her strong patient advocacy, this patient received the care she needed. The mark of a DAISY Nurse is compassion and competence, and there is no doubt that Tove encompasses both of these traits, not only in this situation but in all of her nursing care. Tove is truly an Extraordinary Nurse and her patients and St. Clare Hospital are better because of her great care.