Lauren Shockley
August 2021
Lauren
Shockley
,
RN
ED
TidalHealth Peninsula Regional
Salisbury
,
MD
United States
They arranged to have pizza, wings, and cake, which are the patient’s favorite foods.
This 14-year-old patient has been in the TidalHealth Peninsula Regional Emergency department for 34 days. He is a very challenging patient with significant behavioral issues that were displayed prior to his arrival to the ED as well as during his time in the ED. Despite the challenges he posed to staff and protection services, J and Lauren came together to organize a celebration for this patient's 15th birthday which came while he was still an ED patient awaiting a safe disposition plan. J and Lauren took it upon themselves to gather staff to provide this patient with new shoes and clothes as well as games, books, and puzzles that were safe for him to use and allow him to stay occupied while he was in the ED. They worked with our protection services team and planned a celebration outside of the junior board café in the courtyard to give him some time in the sun. They arranged to have pizza, wings, and cake, which are the patient’s favorite foods. It would be very easy for staff in the ED to become frustrated when patients are challenging or when they spend such a long time in the department, but J and Lauren chose to show compassion and empathy for the patient and rallied staff to provide a birthday celebration for him during a very challenging time in his life.