Recently, a scared and anxious patient was admitted through the ED for a condition which required surgery. The surgeon visited her and described the surgery and while he was giving informed consent, the patient became overly anxious and ultimately asked to sign out of AMA. The patient left the facility and Risk Management was notified.
Upon learning the seriousness of the situation, I discovered the patient was also undergoing treatment at the Wound Care Center. I spoke with two wound care nurses and learned a bit about the patient, and discovered that she had some underlying conditions that required their team to coax her into getting wound care for a badly infected extremity. Karen offered to call the patient since she's had prior encounters with her.
I understand Karen spoke with her at great length. She explained her condition to her, answered her questions and assisted her in getting her animals cared for. They spoke several times and Karen kept me informed the whole time. The patient eventually agreed to return for the surgery that she desperately needed.
I spoke with the ED charge nurse and nursing supervisor to explain the situation and ensure the patient's readmission would be as smooth as possible, and that she'd receive a little extra TLC. We ensured she'd see an alternate surgeon. The patient returned that evening and successfully had surgery, and was very satisfied with her care.
Karen went above and beyond to do the right thing for this patient. She created peace of mind truly!