My son required a laceration repair to his head and hand from a pretty intense run-in with a ceiling fan. I need to highlight that my son is a young, non-verbal, autistic child, which makes new situations and communication very difficult for him. From the minute we were greeted by Theresa Bruce at triage, we both were made to feel comfortable. Theresa let my son lead the way and explained everything she was doing to me and to my son. My son required sedation to complete the laceration repairs. This added more Nurses and Doctors and respiratory therapists to our treatment team. Everyone went out of their way to comfort us. Autism is not something everyone has experience with and can make things extra tricky, but I feel as though the entire staff did an exceptional job. A beautiful picture of patient-centered compassionate care.
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Theresa recognized my husband was in distress and ran for an EKG machine - which showed he was having a major heart attack. Theresa saved my husband's life because of her quick thinking. Theresa is an example of extraordinary clinical skills.
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Theresa cited the clinical scenario above in her clinical exemplar when she achieved Clinical Ladder IV status. Her physician colleague asked why she ordered the EKG and she explained her assessment led her to this decision, her colleague said "Good thing you did, the patient was having a STEMI." This compassionate and autonomous nursing care is a shining example of nursing at its best.