Courtney has always been an excellent nurse, but this one particular case earns Courtney all of the accolades. Her patient was a young man in his 30's with a short, but complicated hospital course. After discussions with the patient's family, the ICU team and the family agreed to make the patient a DNR and turn his case over to the Indiana Donor Network. IDN decided he was a candidate for donation and orders were put in to proceed to the OR. Courtney became concerned that the ICU team believed there was nothing more we could do for the patient, and she began to investigate why the decision was made to make the patient DNR and a donor.

After extensive research and determination, Courtney advocated for the patient and urged the ICU team to consult other specialists (specifically Cardiology) before proceeding with donation. She reached out to other ICU physicians, ethics team, management, and the patient's family. She learned he had a child, job, and a family that loved and cared for him. With her advocation, a cardiology consult was ordered, and a treatment plan was created. The patient was switched back to a full code, he is awake and following commands, he is making improvements every day. He literally would not be alive today, if it were not for Courtney and her determination, compassion, and her adoration for her job and patients. I don't think the patien, or his family will ever realize how much Courtney fought to have him given a chance to live, but her coworkers see it, and we appreciate everything she did for this specific patient.