Tonnie contacted me, a social work manager, after seeing an over 60-year-old patient in her home. Tonnie had seen this patient in the past and upon arrival immediately noticed something was not "right". This patient had recently had surgery on her leg and had been home 3-4 days when this visit took place. Tonnie assessed that this patient's home had been well taken care of in the past and the patient used to be very "put together". This day, the home was a mess and the patient look disheveled. When Tonnie asked the patient how she was doing the patient reported, "I've got myself into a mess." Tonnie used her excellent assessment and communication skills to discreetly ask the patient what she meant.
The patient reported she had been abused severely by a new boyfriend since she had returned from the hospital. This boyfriend had manipulated his way into moving in the patient's home a couple of months earlier. The boyfriend was present in the home during this visit which made this situation very delicate for Tonnie. However, her quick thinking to create a safety plan including for the patient to invite her father over to the home with a plan to call the police when her father arrived.
Tonnie reached out to the social work team immediately as well to make sure the patient was aware of resources to help her recover from the abuse. Tonnie stayed with this patient and provided excellent emotional support and care. By the end of the day, the boyfriend had been removed from the home and the patient was safe. Tonnie continued checking in on the patient after hours to make sure she was ok. Tonnie's compassion and dedication to her patient was every bit of what an Extraordinary Nurse is. She changed someone's life that day and I know for sure the patient is more than grateful she showed up that day in more ways than one.