October 2017
Kathryn
Moritz
,
RN
Emergency Department
Mercy Hospital St. Louis
St. Louis
,
MO
United States
As soon as Kathryn entered the room, she knew something was wrong. Her new patient, a 3-year old girl, was not responding appropriately. Kathryn alerted the physician, who also evaluated the patient. When the doctor was in the room, the girl was more interactive. The doctor didn't see her the way she was acting before. They started some tests and IV fluids. Kathryn continued to check in regularly and vocalized confidently that something was not right. She got another doctor to come see the patient and at that time the girl was throwing up and said her tummy hurt. Kathryn knew that minutes before she had been unresponsive, but no one else saw it. Persistently, she gathered the team and told them that the girl's mental status was not normal. The doctors came in and sure enough, the girl was unresponsive again. Immediately they ordered a head CT, which revealed a large brain tumor that was bleeding into her head. Through a flurry of activity, a transport team was arranged and she received medication to urgently reduce the life-threatening pressure in her head. She was emergently transferred to the children's hospital downtown for neurosurgery. Kathryn saved the girl's life. If she had stayed quiet or not had the confidence to keep voicing her opinion, it may have been too late to save the patient. Kathryn exemplified courage, confidence, and excellent clinical judgment.