Danielle Larson
August 2019
Danielle
Larson
,
RN, BSN, CMSRN
Acute Care Medicine
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
St Louis
,
MO
United States
Dani sat with her when she received the news and let her cry. She listened to her story and supported her.
A social worker from the transplant team, who had been assigned to a patient Dani had cared for, contacted Dani while the patient was in the hospital. The social worker stated Dani had made a wonderful and lasting impression on them. Dani went to visit the patient and her husband. Dani had been this patient’s nurse several days in a row back in the spring. The patient had been very upset because she had been taken off the transplant list due to an injury and needed to be mobile again before they could re-evaluate her and place her back on the list. Dani sat with her when she received the news and let her cry. She listened to her story and supported her.
When her husband arrived they shared that she would not be receiving a transplant. The patient refused to get out of bed. Dani told her it was okay for that day but starting the next day they were getting up so she could get back on the transplant list. Dani started giving the patient positive reinforcement phrases to boost her spirits and the patient asked her to write them on the whiteboard.
Dani also went to the computer and printed a list off for her so she could take it home. The list said: 1. Never, ever, ever give up 2. You’ve got this 3. Smile, no matter what you’re going through, smile 4. You can beat the odds 5. You’re a rock star The patient started to cry and said it was exactly what she needed.
Dani came in the next day and it took three people to get the patient out of bed. When she was up the patient started to cry and kept repeating "I can do this, I can do this". Dani continued to work with her over the next couple of days. Dani visited the patient in the hospital after she received her transplant. She had gotten back on the transplant list! The patient told Dani that she would not be here today if it wasn’t for her care. She said she could hear Dani in her head when she was working through therapy. She kept smiling because of Dani. The patient put her list of phrases on her refrigerator and repeated them out loud daily. Dani said, “This is why I love my job; this is why I am a nurse and why I love coming to work every day.”
Note: This is Dani's 4th DAISY Award!
When her husband arrived they shared that she would not be receiving a transplant. The patient refused to get out of bed. Dani told her it was okay for that day but starting the next day they were getting up so she could get back on the transplant list. Dani started giving the patient positive reinforcement phrases to boost her spirits and the patient asked her to write them on the whiteboard.
Dani also went to the computer and printed a list off for her so she could take it home. The list said: 1. Never, ever, ever give up 2. You’ve got this 3. Smile, no matter what you’re going through, smile 4. You can beat the odds 5. You’re a rock star The patient started to cry and said it was exactly what she needed.
Dani came in the next day and it took three people to get the patient out of bed. When she was up the patient started to cry and kept repeating "I can do this, I can do this". Dani continued to work with her over the next couple of days. Dani visited the patient in the hospital after she received her transplant. She had gotten back on the transplant list! The patient told Dani that she would not be here today if it wasn’t for her care. She said she could hear Dani in her head when she was working through therapy. She kept smiling because of Dani. The patient put her list of phrases on her refrigerator and repeated them out loud daily. Dani said, “This is why I love my job; this is why I am a nurse and why I love coming to work every day.”
Note: This is Dani's 4th DAISY Award!