One day, as we were closing a cardiac case in the OR, the surgeon received a call from the Cardiac Surgery ICU regarding another patient who had been in surgery less than 4 hours. The patient's chest tube output was close to 2 liters, her mean arterial pressure was dropping, and she was requiring high doses of vasopressors for stability. It was agreed that the patient would be returned to the OR, immediately, for chest re-entry and control of bleeding.
I went to the OR to scrub and set up the re-entry instruments. That is where I met Susanne Nolan, RN (Susie). Susie had been sent by the OR Charge Nurse to assess what would be needed to safely, efficiently, and effectively bring the emergent case together.
Susie immediately used the assessment skills of an experienced RN and accessed the S.T.A.R. safety tool as well. She began by asking about the background of the patient's prior surgery. Pulling from her knowledge and experience as a thoracic surgery nurse, she confidently determined that the available resources for the cardiac team were sufficient and no additional team members were necessary. Susie then worked with me to set up the room. As we worked, she assessed the steps needed to decrease the time from arrival in the room to start of surgery.
Susie quickly released red cells, checked positioning supplies, retrieved drugs and reviewed all details to ensure she had completed the preparations for the case. When the patient arrived, Susie and the surgical team transferred and positioned the patient for surgery, and the surgical fellow called, "Emergent 'time-out'". The surgeon arrived and thanked the team. The case progressed successfully and the patient returned to her family and CSICU.
Susie's firm grasp of the urgency for surgical intervention and elevation of the case details to that level made the difference for this patient. Susie is passionate about nursing and consistently promotes teamwork through clear communication with her coworkers regarding the patients and their planned procedures.
Susie deserves recognition for her adaptability to this patient's emergency, her thoughtfulness for planning care, and the expert skill-level and safety she brings to each and every patient encounter.
Thank you, Susie!