Atsuko is by far one of the most knowledgeable nurses I have ever met. As a floor nurse, we go to the ICU charge nurse for advice with patient dilemmas and that happens to be Atsuko most nights. I have had the opportunity of assisting her and the ICU team during a rapid response and I was glad she was the RRT nurse that night.
This particular patient turned really fast and that rapid became a code. Immediately, Atsuko took charge and without hesitation jumped into action, it was an impressive sight. They immediately transferred that patient to ICU where they coded again, and Atsuko never left the patient's bedside. She took her knowledge and skill and everything she had into saving this patient, along with the rest of the ICU team.
The patient ended up surviving and doing well but I don't know if that patient knows what Atsuko did for him that day. She is a humble person and expects nothing in return. She juggles managing her unit and being part of the rapid response/code team and deserves much respect for doing so. Therefore, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight her contribution on that day and to this hospital as a whole. We rely on the ICU team to help us when our patients turn south and Atsuko is a big part of that team. Thank you for all you do.