June 2016
Raquel
Lumm
,
RN, BSN
Mother/Baby unit
Northwest Medical Center
Tucson
,
AZ
United States
Raquel had a patient with a new BP prescription. Upon discharge, Raquel educated the patient about the BP medication and gave her an information sheet. The next day the patient was visiting her baby and Raquel talked with the patient to see how she was doing since discharge. In chatting with the patient and checking the patient's discharge record, Raquel found out that the pharmacy had filled an old prescription of a med that was not no longer effective to reduce her BP. Raquel called the patient, stressing the urgent need for the patient to come in to the Women's Center to get her BP checked. When the patient came back in to have her BP checked and the exam revealed a BP of 200/110. The patient was emergently treated with IV antihypertensive and admitted with preeclampsia. If Raquel had not gone above and beyond, this patient's condition could have led to a life-threatening condition.