Irene Vogel has been a nurse in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) for a little over a year. Previous to working in the PACU she spent 4 years in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. Irene’s dedication and caring nature were apparent soon after she began working in the PACU. Irene is every attentive to her patient’s needs and condition. She will advocate for her patient even when it means she must be persistent when collaborating the physicians for care needs.
Irene’s astute assessment skills and advocacy for her patients was recently demonstrated when she cared for a femur rodding. When Mr. T. came to the PACU he was to be admitted to the orthopedic floor. Shortly after arriving in the PACU Irene noticed Mr. T was beginning to tire with breathing. She notified the anesthesiologist who did not concur with Irene’s assessment of the patient beginning to have respiratory distress. Irene continued to support her patient with nursing measures to assist his breathing. Eventually, with much persistence, she was able to obtain a pulmonary consult, treat Mr. T. for respiratory distress and send him to the ICU. Mr. T. had a positive outcome after his stay in the ICU. I received a letter from Mr. T’s daughter, a nurse practitioner, commending Irene’s astute care of her father. She referred to Irene as a “gem” that should be recognized as such. Without Irene’s intervention she did not feel her father would have had the positive outcome he received.
This week Irene cared for a bilateral minimally invasive hip replacement. Shortly after arrival in the PACU, the patient Ms. B. became extremely hypotensive. Irene obtained an H&H order as there was not one ordered for more than eight hours. The hemoglobin results on this patient came back as 3.9. Irene worked diligently with Ms. B. to provide comfort both physiologically and psychologically. She not only spent hours at the bedside giving blood products and treating vital signs; she made sure she addressed the patient’s comfort and anxiety. She brought the husband to the PACU and answered his questions to offer family support. Irene recognized that although she was able to stabilize the patient with transfusions; it was not safe to send this patient to the orthopedic unit. She notified the surgeon and obtained an order for ICU.
Irene has been recognized by name in Press Ganey comments by inpatients for her wonderful care and caring nature. She has received several Above and Beyond for the same. This is noteworthy as patients from the PACU setting often do not remember their nurses’ name as they are often groggy from anesthesia and some of the anesthetics have amnesia properties.
Often Irene stays beyond her shifts to continue caring for her patients and to help in the PACU. She can always be counted on to lend a helping hand when the unit is busy. She’ll look around and offers to help without being asked. She puts our patient’s care as her top priority.