September 2021
Richard A
Hall
,
RN
Emergency Department
John D. Dingell VAMC
Detroit
United States
Richard, with a kind gesture and use of his expertise, was able to save the life of a fellow Veteran and his family!
A Veteran visited an outside hospital Emergency Department for lethargy, dehydration, poor appetite, and abdominal discomfort and then came to the Detroit VAMC the following day with the same complaints. He was treated appropriately for the dehydration, felt much better, and then went home. The Veteran returned to the outside hospital that night and then again to the Emergency Department the next morning with the same complaints. Imaging and lab results did not show any emergent issues and he was treated and discharged to home feeling much better. He was already scheduled to return in the morning for his COVID-19 vaccination.
Richard Hall a nurse in the Emergency Department who is also a former firefighter and Veteran of the US Navy, noticed that a Veteran had been to the Emergency Department a couple of days in a row and stopped him to ask him how he was as the Veteran passed him to leave for home. The nurse also took the time to listen as the Veteran spoke. The Veteran told the nurse of his not feeling well for the last few days and told that his wife also was not feeling well now. The Veteran described the symptoms, and the nurse began asking questions. He inquired about if the Veteran had work done on his furnace recently and the Veteran acknowledged that he had. Richard, with his expertise, instructed the Veteran to have the Carbon Monoxide levels in his home checked. He thought the symptoms were concerning for possibly high levels, despite why he seemed to be presenting to the Emergency Department.
The Veteran went home and called the gas company who checked his home that same morning. The CO levels were dangerously high, and the Veteran and his wife were immediately moved to a hotel, where they stayed until the house was safe again. The Veteran's and his wife's symptoms went away. The Veteran, due for his COVID-19 vaccine, stopped back in the Emergency Department to let Richard know what had happened. He was told that if he had stayed in the house longer, he and his wife would have likely died. This Emergency Department Nurse, with a kind gesture and use of his expertise, was able to save the life of a fellow Veteran and his family!
Richard Hall a nurse in the Emergency Department who is also a former firefighter and Veteran of the US Navy, noticed that a Veteran had been to the Emergency Department a couple of days in a row and stopped him to ask him how he was as the Veteran passed him to leave for home. The nurse also took the time to listen as the Veteran spoke. The Veteran told the nurse of his not feeling well for the last few days and told that his wife also was not feeling well now. The Veteran described the symptoms, and the nurse began asking questions. He inquired about if the Veteran had work done on his furnace recently and the Veteran acknowledged that he had. Richard, with his expertise, instructed the Veteran to have the Carbon Monoxide levels in his home checked. He thought the symptoms were concerning for possibly high levels, despite why he seemed to be presenting to the Emergency Department.
The Veteran went home and called the gas company who checked his home that same morning. The CO levels were dangerously high, and the Veteran and his wife were immediately moved to a hotel, where they stayed until the house was safe again. The Veteran's and his wife's symptoms went away. The Veteran, due for his COVID-19 vaccine, stopped back in the Emergency Department to let Richard know what had happened. He was told that if he had stayed in the house longer, he and his wife would have likely died. This Emergency Department Nurse, with a kind gesture and use of his expertise, was able to save the life of a fellow Veteran and his family!