Lucy was assigned to the front desk that day. She was busy checking patients in for their Pre-Admission Testing appointments, answering the phone, and checking documents. A young man approached Lucy at the desk and stated simply "I need some help". He went on to explain that he had been hearing voices in his head telling him to "slit his wrists". He had called his mom, and she instructed him to go to the nearest hospital and ask for help. Lucy in a calm, collected manner, took charge of the situation. She replied that he had made the right decision by coming to TGH and that we were here to help him.
Lucy brought him back to a private room and asked if there was anything in his backpack that he could hurt himself with? And did he have an actual plan to hurt himself? He denied having anything in his backpack but shared with Lucy that he did have a plan in place. Lucy put a plan in place by calling the Psych Nurse. Lucy stayed with him until he arrived. She was calm, thorough and caring. The Psych Nurse arrived, and the young man was taken to the Emergency Department to obtain the help he needed.
I believe that sometimes we take for granted what we do as nurses for a living. The phrase "Saving Lives" at times seems to be thrown around carelessly. Lucy did save a life that day. What we do as nurses, many times behind the scenes, are not recognized. As a mom myself, I can only imagine how grateful this young man's mother is to a nurse that she will never meet.