April 2019
Kendra
Sermsai
,
RN
Critical Care Unit
Ascension Saint Thomas Health - Rutherford
Murfreesboro
,
TN
United States
A week ago I was taking care of a patient who was here with an MS exacerbation and breathing problems that required her to be on continuous bi-pap/apothem. Mobility was drastically decreased with this patient as just drinking from a cup proved to be difficult. About mid-day I was able to transition her off bi-pap to the vaper herm nasal cannula. The patient was tolerating the transition well so the decision to bathe the patient was made. When I got to her hair in the bathing process, I noticed her hair was nearly to her hips in length and was the most tangled/matted mess I had ever seen. About that time Kendra popped her head in and asked if I needed anything. I asked her to assess the hair situation thinking it was a lost cause and that is when she jumped into action. She went to her locker and got her own shampoo and conditioner and for the next hour and a half, she soaked and combed and brushed her hair until all the tangles were out. To top it off, she did some kind of special braid, that I'm surely not capable of, to prevent that from happening again. The patient was smiling and in much better spirits after her encounter with Kendra. She went above and beyond what is expected and it wasn't even her patient.