My son was a patient in the CVICU post-cardiac procedure and was discharged the next day.Julie was his nurse that afternoon. I was very touched by Julie's ability to care for my son emotionally and physically.She took extra time and got to know my son who does not generally open up to people.She made sure he was safe, comfortable, and understood why and what she was doing. She checked on him frequently and anticipated his needs, which is so important to a young patient. She even stopped by to check on us the next day though she was not our nurse that day.I recall her saying that she flexes between CVICU, PICU, and NICU. It is obvious that nursing is not just a job for her, it is her calling and she truly enjoys it. We were so fortunate to have had her as my son's nurse, not just for him, but also for me as a parent.Patient satisfaction is so important, I believe Wolfson's patients and staff members are very lucky to have Julie as part of your team.Thank you Julie!
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Julie was taking care of a baby patient when she noticed that the baby screamed every time she touched her left leg or changed her diaper.She notified the physician extender to come do a focused assessment because the baby would not straighten her leg and Julie could not move it without the baby being in pain.The physician extender assessed, but didn't express the same concerns as Julie. She consulted with the attending physician and they decided to order a PT consult.In the meantime, she also consulted the other available extenders to assess this infant; they too assessed the infant's left leg.They spoke with the attending physician and an x-ray was ordered.The x-ray was not done until the next morning, when a different extender took over.Julie expressed her concern to this extender, who then ordered a hip ultra sound, CBC, and CRP.The CBC and CRP were outside the normal range, so the extender ordered blood cultures and antibiotics.Julie spent a good part of her day trying to convince a radiology team member to have the hip US done. The radiology team member performing the US felt that the baby did not meet age criteria for a hip US and that this was outside of their protocol.The radiology team member informed her that non-protocol testing could only be done with approval of the radiologist. Julie relayed this info to the extender, who called the radiologist to have the hip US done.The day after, the patient was cared for by a different nurse who took the infant to MRI for her hip and leg.An extender reported that they think the baby may have some vegetation on her heart per the ECHO (the ECHO was done to check a murmur) and that they baby would need another to rule out a thrombus.Another day passed, and the baby went to surgery to have a pocket of fluid drained from her hip and came back to the unit intubated.
For 2 days, Julie was this baby's advocate and ally for proper care and treatment, which often can be a daunting task.She was caring, compassionate, and above all else, persistent; she spoke to anyone who would listen until she got what was needed for this child.Her care and compassion for the most vulnerable of patients was truly extraordinary. She sets the example for all nurses to go above and beyond, to do whatever it takes to give a voice to the voiceless, ensuring our care is compassionate and of the highest quality. She represents all the wonderful qualities of a DAISY Nurse and is most deserving of the award.