A patient was admitted for long term care placement as his family was unable to care for him due to a new diagnosis of dementia. Unfortunately, due to placement difficulties, the patient had an extended length of stay on the unit. During his initial week on the unit, the patient experienced nightly episodes of confusion and agitation that resulted in video monitoring, medical/surgical restraint use, and 1:1 patient care for the patient's safety.

Corey Hess, a new RN to the unit, met this patient during her initial orientation. She quickly saw how concerned her colleagues were with the patient's increased confusion and risk for falls. Corey knew that she could develop a plan to help calm the patient in the evening hours. Through the use of evidence and personal experience, Corey developed a plan of interventions to prevent the need for patient restraints.

Each evening, Corey would trial a new timing of his medications, food schedule, and daily walks around the unit until she found a combination that allowed the patient to sleep peacefully through the night. Once the correct schedule was determined, she shared the information with the rest of her colleagues to continue when she was not present on the unit.

Once Corey's plan was implemented, the patient remained video monitoring, restraint, 1:1, and fall free for the remainder of his stay. Corey went above and beyond her role to ensure that this patient was cared for with compassion and maintained his dignity.