Amber Spruell
September 2021
Amber
Spruell
,
RN
CICU
Grandview Medical Center
Birmingham
,
AL
United States
Amber ran past me into the room, grabbed his hand, and pushed the medication that surely saved him from a devastating event. From that moment on he was HER patient.
After months of Chemotherapy, doctors performed an open Ivor Lewis with thoracotomy to remove the cancerous mass in my husband's esophagus and stomach along with many lymph nodes. This resection surgery is life-changing and dangerous. We didn't know exactly what to expect from the hospital stay and being on a cardiac intensive care floor, we weren't sure how much experience the nursing staff would have with this surgery or the complications that can arise, or how to move forward in the most positive way. There were a lot of unknowns. What we found were so many caring, knowledgeable nurses and respiratory therapists, and physical therapists.
While everyone was wonderful and our success was a team effort, one nurse stood out to us day in and day out on our 10 day stay in CICU. 24 hours after the surgery his heart rate started to climb to a dangerous range staying in the 140s when at rest. Nurses and doctors worked hard to troubleshoot for the next 19 hours. Amber was halfway through her first day shift with us when suddenly he began to skyrocket. The fast-thinking nurse was prepared. She had the life-saving meds in her pocket in case he began to afib as expected. I hit the hall running and she didn't need a word from me to know what was happening. She ran past me into the room, grabbed his hand, and pushed the medication that surely saved him from a devastating event. From that moment on he was HER patient. She was part of our lifesaving, cancer-fighting team...no longer a cardiac nurse...a valued cancer-fighting team member. She then pushed for a heart regulator medication and alternate pain medication to be ordered. She won and by that very night he was stable and the pain was under control with a simple non-narcotic anti-inflammatory medication. He never used the PCA again. Goal 1 to recover in record time...goal 2 to discharge on Tylenol. Amber helped us reach both goals. She continued to check on us daily, whether we were assigned to her, whether she was on shift, whether she was at home with her family. She will forever be a VERY important part of our story! We are so thankful for her and her passion for saving lives!
While everyone was wonderful and our success was a team effort, one nurse stood out to us day in and day out on our 10 day stay in CICU. 24 hours after the surgery his heart rate started to climb to a dangerous range staying in the 140s when at rest. Nurses and doctors worked hard to troubleshoot for the next 19 hours. Amber was halfway through her first day shift with us when suddenly he began to skyrocket. The fast-thinking nurse was prepared. She had the life-saving meds in her pocket in case he began to afib as expected. I hit the hall running and she didn't need a word from me to know what was happening. She ran past me into the room, grabbed his hand, and pushed the medication that surely saved him from a devastating event. From that moment on he was HER patient. She was part of our lifesaving, cancer-fighting team...no longer a cardiac nurse...a valued cancer-fighting team member. She then pushed for a heart regulator medication and alternate pain medication to be ordered. She won and by that very night he was stable and the pain was under control with a simple non-narcotic anti-inflammatory medication. He never used the PCA again. Goal 1 to recover in record time...goal 2 to discharge on Tylenol. Amber helped us reach both goals. She continued to check on us daily, whether we were assigned to her, whether she was on shift, whether she was at home with her family. She will forever be a VERY important part of our story! We are so thankful for her and her passion for saving lives!