July 2018
Xochilt
Sanders
,
RN
PCU-Med/Surg
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center
Casa Grande
,
AZ
United States

 

 

 

Zoey (Xochilt) was taking care of a patient with a history of end-stage renal disease on dialysis. On that day the patient's AV fistula begun to bleed excessively. Zoey immediately placed a pressure dressing around the bleeding fistula site, got the patient back into bed, called for help, and continued to apply pressure until the bleeding was under control.
During that stressful moment, the patient began to cry uncontrollably in fear that he was going to die. Zoey (while still holding pressure on his arm) was able to calm the patient down, console him, and speak to the patient's family member on the phone, calming her down as well. The patient had an emergent transfer to Banner Heart Hospital for vascular surgery. Due to Zoey's quick thinking, reaction, and compassion, I believe Zoey saved that patient's life that day.
***
I had a patient on peritoneal dialysis who needed her dialysis at 10 pm and there was no nurse available that night to do that treatment session. Zoey had been the patient's nurse during the day shift. Even after working a difficult 12-hour shift that day, Zoey volunteered to stay late and make sure that the patient got her dialysis treatment that night.