One day, Staci Daigle was returning to the SICU after transporting her patient to interventional radiology for a procedure. Upon arrival to the 8th floor of Jennie Sealy, several staff stepped off the elevator when the doors opened. Before Staci and the patient were able to move forward, the elevator door shut abruptly. The elevator was stuck at that point, with the doors shut, leaving Staci and the patient trapped in the elevator by themselves. Within a few moments, the patient began to clinically deteriorate; a mucous plug had developed in his tracheostomy, and oxygen saturations dropped to the 70s. The patient needed to be urgently suctioned, but this equipment was not available in the elevator.
Staff in the SICU were notified of what was happening, and they immediately sprang into action. Several nurses quickly went to the elevator bank and conducted a rapid assessment and troubleshooting to determine available options. Two nurses ran back into the SICU and obtained the code cart and tubing extension supplies. The code cart was wheeled out of the unit, and into the elevator bank- right next to the elevator door. The portable suction was quickly set up with many many many sets of extension tubing. Now, how to get that into the elevator for Staci to use? While the suction was being set up, two other staff were able to pull apart the elevator doors in the middle, just wide enough to pass the suction tubing into Staci. The patient was suctioned, through a coordinated process of communicating through closed elevator doors that Staci was ready for the suction to be turned on.
Fast forward to the GOOD news- several minutes later, Staci reported that the patient was doing much better; secretions were removed, and the patient's oxygen saturation slowly returned to normal.
With the help of UTMB campus police, UTMB maintenance, and Galveston Fire Department, the elevator doors were finally opened, and Staci with the patient returned to the ICU. The SICU nursing rescue team remained in attendance, in case more help was needed.
In all the hustle, I did take one photograph of this impressive event. This 1 snapshot does not do justice to the events of that afternoon, as it is not able to fully capture the teamwork, critical thinking, rapid but calm-under-pressure action, and creative innovation exemplified by this team of nurses. They are true healthcare heroes: grace under pressure; demonstrating teamwork, and advocacy, and commitment to patient care and outcomes. Their actions are a great example of what is "right" about UTMB, the best of the best.