December 2019
Gloria
Heacock
,
RN
ICU
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital
I do not know where we would be right now if it wasn't for Gloria. I don't know if my dad would still be here.
I know many people love to voice concerns when something is wrong but in this case, I need to make you aware of actions taken by one of your nurses that truly made a difference in the lives of my family members.
My father was admitted to Finley Hospital with severe dehydration, circulation issues in the intestine, and kidney failure. To say the least, my mother and I were very scared, and our world stopped spinning. He seemed to be doing much better a few days later but I noticed he seemed a little shaky and he was not making sense from time to time. I came back the 4th day and he was not able to put a straw in his mouth without dropping it and he seemed confused. I received a call at work on the 5th day letting me know his lungs had 7 liters of fluid in them so he was being treated for congestive heart failure and was being moved to ICU.
By Sunday, he was on heavy, heavy amounts of oxygen, seemed delirious at times, and his whole body just shook and twitched. This was not the man who carried me on his shoulders when I was young. I knew something was very wrong.
Sunday evening I was sitting by his bedside and I came to the realization that he may not be coming home. I could not believe what was happening because it was all so fast. I was not ready to give up, but I also knew I had to prepare my mom in case he didn't come out of it. That was a conversation that took place outside the staff elevators on the 3rd floor around 11 pm and I never want to live that moment again. We were prepared as much as we could be for whichever direction the situation took. But it was still unbearable to face.
My mother received a call from an ICU nurse named Gloria on the evening of the 8th day. Gloria had noticed that my father was on liquid Pepcid since he was admitted. She explained that this medicine could have side effects like we were seeing. She asked permission to stop giving it to him and she called the doctor on call to get a substitute.
By morning, my dad was showing signs of improvement. He was still dazed from time to time, but he was alert, sitting up, and feeding himself breakfast. He continued to improve just as quickly as his health declined. It is now the 10th day and he is on the 4th floor of your hospital. He is walking, talking, eating, and I just learned they are trying to see how he does with zero oxygen. I am writing this with tears.
Your staff is remarkable, and I honestly cannot thank them enough for what they have done for my dad and my family. They are truly a great team and you can tell they like what they do and have the passion to treat their patients no different than how they would want their loved ones to be treated.
Gloria is a true DAISY Nurse. She was caring for my dad for the first time on the 6th day. She took the time to read through everything and she identified the medication that was the source of the problems. She contacted us right away and then provided updates as my father got better. I do not know where we would be right now if it wasn't for her. I don't know if my dad would still be here. He was scheduled for a visit with a psych doctor due to the hallucinations and the high level of confusion he was experiencing. Where would we be if that medication wasn't identified? I try not to think about the possibilities.
My father was admitted to Finley Hospital with severe dehydration, circulation issues in the intestine, and kidney failure. To say the least, my mother and I were very scared, and our world stopped spinning. He seemed to be doing much better a few days later but I noticed he seemed a little shaky and he was not making sense from time to time. I came back the 4th day and he was not able to put a straw in his mouth without dropping it and he seemed confused. I received a call at work on the 5th day letting me know his lungs had 7 liters of fluid in them so he was being treated for congestive heart failure and was being moved to ICU.
By Sunday, he was on heavy, heavy amounts of oxygen, seemed delirious at times, and his whole body just shook and twitched. This was not the man who carried me on his shoulders when I was young. I knew something was very wrong.
Sunday evening I was sitting by his bedside and I came to the realization that he may not be coming home. I could not believe what was happening because it was all so fast. I was not ready to give up, but I also knew I had to prepare my mom in case he didn't come out of it. That was a conversation that took place outside the staff elevators on the 3rd floor around 11 pm and I never want to live that moment again. We were prepared as much as we could be for whichever direction the situation took. But it was still unbearable to face.
My mother received a call from an ICU nurse named Gloria on the evening of the 8th day. Gloria had noticed that my father was on liquid Pepcid since he was admitted. She explained that this medicine could have side effects like we were seeing. She asked permission to stop giving it to him and she called the doctor on call to get a substitute.
By morning, my dad was showing signs of improvement. He was still dazed from time to time, but he was alert, sitting up, and feeding himself breakfast. He continued to improve just as quickly as his health declined. It is now the 10th day and he is on the 4th floor of your hospital. He is walking, talking, eating, and I just learned they are trying to see how he does with zero oxygen. I am writing this with tears.
Your staff is remarkable, and I honestly cannot thank them enough for what they have done for my dad and my family. They are truly a great team and you can tell they like what they do and have the passion to treat their patients no different than how they would want their loved ones to be treated.
Gloria is a true DAISY Nurse. She was caring for my dad for the first time on the 6th day. She took the time to read through everything and she identified the medication that was the source of the problems. She contacted us right away and then provided updates as my father got better. I do not know where we would be right now if it wasn't for her. I don't know if my dad would still be here. He was scheduled for a visit with a psych doctor due to the hallucinations and the high level of confusion he was experiencing. Where would we be if that medication wasn't identified? I try not to think about the possibilities.