Pictured In Photo: Peggy Gordin RN, MS, NEA-BC, FAAN - Vice President Patient Care Services and Arlene Klostermann, RN
On the evening of January 11 Arlene accomplished a magnificent feat of telephone diplomacy to facilitate a patient discharge on behalf of one of our families. The scenario was that a family with a medically complicated child had been discharged and had a 1.5 hour drive home. It was important for this family to get home to their environment where it was more restful for them to provide all of their daughter’s baseline care while she continued to recover from surgery.
Unfortunately, the oxygen tank they brought from home did not have enough oxygen in it for the trip back and it was after regular hours to solve the problem from a care coordination perspective. Arlene recognized the value to the patient and the family if she could arrange a way to get oxygen delivered to the hospital rather than delay their discharge overnight. For over an hour, working between 2 telephones following every lead she could until she managed to facilitate a solution to have a tank delivered.
Not only did Arlene show care and respect for the family she was helping, she also spoke with tremendous patience and kindness to everyone from home health and the family’s medical supply company to help bring a solution about. Her persistence and friendly encouragement inspired people along the chain to try and do what was right for this kid. They turned a logistical impossibility into a great solution to help meet a family’s need.
We think Arlene showed all the best of what SLCH nursing can be in the way she worked through this challenge!