Here is a brief synopsis of the heroic and admirable measures Lorna took last night:
A code blue was called in Cath Lab 4. Lorna took on the responsibility of being the recorder. The patient was initially found in a PEA arrest by EMS and after 25 minutes of ACLS, ROSC was achieved. When the patient arrived at the Cath Lab, they again coded her for about 20 minutes. Lorna responded to the code and was the recorder. After the code was called, she noted the patient's family to be in complete distress. She also realized that the Cath Lab was a procedural area where the nurses seldom have to coordinate the care that entails when a patient passes away. Some of the team members in the Cath Lab had also worked over 12 hours already. Given this information, Lorna offered to have the patient occupy an empty room so the family could view the patient in private and in peace. She assisted with post mortem care, helped with the expiration flowsheet, and called life link. The staff in the Cath Lab were so grateful for her assistance and praised how wonderful she was. With all this said, she was very humble and didn't think it was a big deal and stated that "it's a part of what we do."
***
Lorna is a clinician and has always been in charge of the CTICU. With the complexity of the patients that they care for, she always makes herself available to run for code blues. At this particular incident, Lorna ran to the Cath Lab, and not only helped the staff with the code blue but with her expertise, she set up the balloon pump and arranged and prepared the room in CTICU where the patient would be admitted after the catheterization. Unfortunately, the patient was very sick and did not make it. Instead of the patient being taken directly to the morgue, she valued the fact that the family was still in total shock and to give them a last few moments with the patient, Lorna brought the deceased patient to the assigned room in CTICU. She cleaned the patient and stayed with the family to comfort them. She explained to the family what had transpired with the procedure and why the patient did not make it.
The family was very appreciative of what Lorna did to make their last few moments with their deceased loved one. She went above and beyond, staying in the Cath Lab for more than an hour despite being in charge of a very busy ICU and to personally prepare the deceased patient for the family to view.
It is always nice to know and hear from extraordinary nurses that "it's part of what we do", but coming from ICU and being in charge, I can attest that not all charge nurses would do what Lorna has done. She gave a patient a decent place to be with the loved ones, at the very last moment if it is outside their area.
Lorna truly deserves this DAISY Award!