Left-right: Amy Randall, ER Manager; Deborah Spencer, Director of ER; Julie Hensley, RN; Mary Vidaurri, Chief Operating Officer; Karen Harris, Administrator for Nursing Services
Working as an RN in any capacity can be one of the most rewarding vocations that exist. Being able to impact someone’s life, whether it is on a large or small scale is a profound gift that we are all given in this profession. In the emergency department, we all aim to achieve the goal of connecting with our patients and families. It is often, however, a challenge to bond with patients on a personal level. We have such a very small window of opportunity in the ED in which to build a patient and family’s trust, build constructive communication venues and create a reasonable plan of care. We are often dealing with patients and families on their worst of days. No one plans to come to the ED. Patients are scared and uncertain of what their diagnosis may be, whether they will go home or be rushed to surgery or if their family member will ever leave the hospital. We deliver babies, we ease the pain of the dying, we deal with tragedies that are beyond belief and we deliver the most horrible of news. It takes a special person and a special nurse to deal with the day to day operations of the ED, and Julie Hensley is one of those nurses that does this with grace and compassion.
Not long ago, a young man that was critically injured in close proximity to the hospital. Instead of calling 911, the people present during the event decided to drive this young man to HFWBH. He was delivered to the front door of the ED without any notification or pre-treatment. The ED team sprang into action, literally carrying him from the car and into the ED. The team worked diligently and quickly to attempt to save the young man’s life. Unfortunately, his injuries were fatal. He was 17 years old. The family arrived in the ED within minutes of the patient’s arrival and were present in the department for the resuscitation efforts and the cessation of treatment. The ED staff had to deliver the news to the father, every parent’s worst nightmare that his child had passed away. Over the course of the next few hours, multiple family members arrived and the news had to be shared over and over with the family. Police were involved and a crime investigation was initiated. During this time, it was necessary to delegate a member of the ED team to be the contact and support person for the family. Julie was the obvious choice. With her calm, empathetic and compassionate nature, Julie was able to ease the family’s pain while still being informative and ensuring the chain of evidence was maintained. This is no easy task. Telling a family that they cannot touch or hold their loved one is not easy, and explaining why all of the medical equipment must stay in place until the medical examiner becomes involved is difficult. Julie was able to do this with the compassion we all strive to show to our patients. The ED staff, as well as Julie, cried with the family and cared for family members that physically collapsed upon hearing the news of the young man’s death. The family was so touched, that after the hours they spent in the emergency department, they took the time to hug and thank Julie for her time and compassion. Approximately a week after this tragedy, the ED received a personalized card from the family of the young man. It stated how grateful they were for efforts that “helped in their grief and sorrow” during their recent tragedy. This spoke volumes, that a family that was still actively reeling from such a tragic event would take the time to send a card to the ED is remarkable, and I believe speaks to the compassion that was shown to the family by Julie Hensley.
Julie is a modest person, and I’m sure she will tell you this was not just her, that it was an effort of the whole ED. But we all know that sometimes it takes one person to be the beacon. One person can be a comfort, a support, a spokeperson, an interpreter and a liason. ER Staff are grateful that Julie has these gifts and is willing to share them with the patients in the Emergency Department at HFWBH.