January 2019
Megan
Todd
,
RN
TSU- Transplant Stepdown Unit
Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans
New Orleans
,
LA
United States
Megan Todd embodies the definition of a patient advocate. She is the ADT (Admission/Discharge/Transfer) nurse on TSU, and each day she arrives at work with a smile on her face ready to do whatever needs to be done. Whether it be transporting a patient to a test or procedure, escalating patient issues to the APP/MD, facilitating patient discharges or being an additional resource to the staff nurses.
While Megan goes above and beyond daily, two recent examples come to mind. The first example involves a patient who had been hospitalized since September with complications related to his first liver transplant as well as his subsequent liver transplant. Due to an extended ICU stay, he became physically debilitated. Megan developed a rapport with him and his sister and ensured that the got out of bed daily, even when he did not really want to. However, Megan went above and beyond on several occasions and spent time washing the patient's hair, an act that she willingly volunteered to do without being asked. This simple act made his day brighter and made him feel more like a normal person and less like a sick patient.
The second example of Megan going above and beyond relates to her advocating for a patient's ERCP to be done. My patient was to have a repeat ERCP done on Friday afternoon - he was in excruciating pain with an occluded stent, and while waiting to be taken back for the procedure, his IV infiltrated. After numerous attempts by the endoscopy nurses as well as anesthesia, I was notified he would be sent back to the floor, and the ERCP was to be rescheduled, likely for Monday. As I relayed this to Megan, she immediately stated that she was going to try to place the IV herself and headed to endoscopy. Once again without being asked but knowing what was best for the patient. Not only was she successful in obtaining the IV access, but the patient had the ERCP and was able to be discharged the following day!
These are just a few examples of Megan advocating for her patients, there are many more - she is not only an asset to TSU but to Ochsner as an organization.
While Megan goes above and beyond daily, two recent examples come to mind. The first example involves a patient who had been hospitalized since September with complications related to his first liver transplant as well as his subsequent liver transplant. Due to an extended ICU stay, he became physically debilitated. Megan developed a rapport with him and his sister and ensured that the got out of bed daily, even when he did not really want to. However, Megan went above and beyond on several occasions and spent time washing the patient's hair, an act that she willingly volunteered to do without being asked. This simple act made his day brighter and made him feel more like a normal person and less like a sick patient.
The second example of Megan going above and beyond relates to her advocating for a patient's ERCP to be done. My patient was to have a repeat ERCP done on Friday afternoon - he was in excruciating pain with an occluded stent, and while waiting to be taken back for the procedure, his IV infiltrated. After numerous attempts by the endoscopy nurses as well as anesthesia, I was notified he would be sent back to the floor, and the ERCP was to be rescheduled, likely for Monday. As I relayed this to Megan, she immediately stated that she was going to try to place the IV herself and headed to endoscopy. Once again without being asked but knowing what was best for the patient. Not only was she successful in obtaining the IV access, but the patient had the ERCP and was able to be discharged the following day!
These are just a few examples of Megan advocating for her patients, there are many more - she is not only an asset to TSU but to Ochsner as an organization.