November 2018
Karen
Robbins
,
BSN, RN, CPAN, CAPA
PACU
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton
Hamilton
,
NJ
United States
A patient was brought into the pre-op area to be prepped for surgery. The patient was very distraught and crying because her granddaughter was getting married that evening. This was her first grandchild to be married and it was extremely distressing to her that she had fallen 2 days prior and could not attend the wedding. Karen was her nurse and as the patient woke up from anesthesia, she was again weepy about missing the wedding. Karen suggested that we might be able to FaceTime the wedding if we had the phone number for someone at the wedding. Karen attempted to reach the family numerous times without stopping. She finally reached a person who said that she was on the way to the wedding and unable to FaceTime. Karen asked if she could contact anyone else at the wedding. She received a call 15 minutes later from the patient's grandson, who was positioned at the altar ready to show his grandmother the wedding. Karen got her iPad so the patient could have a bigger view. Within minutes the music began and the patient was able to watch the bridal processional. The patient was truly overjoyed. Karen stood by this patient holding her iPad throughout the ceremony which was a full mass (over an hour). The patient was thrilled. Karen goes above and beyond for her patients many times and this is just one example.