Kendra Byard
March 2023
Kendra
Byard
,
BSN, RN
PACU
Meritus Medical Center
Hagerstown
,
MD
United States
Through it all, Kendra provided empathetic and non-judgemental care.
Kendra was caring for an overflow patient in PACU. This patient was exasperating! He was anxious, probably frightened, a bundle of nervous energy, and in perpetual motion. He was exhausting....and I wasn't even his primary nurse!
Due to an extensive per-rectal abscess, it was necessary for his incision to remain open and packed. This is very uncomfortable and his recreational drug use complicated his pain management. Kendra expertly managed his analgesics where he finally admitted his pain was "a little better" and the focus of his complaints shifted from pain to "I want a cigarette" and "I'm hungry". She arranged for nicotine patches, and a meal, and fashioned a pillow to make it more comfortable to sit. She provided her personal Kindle for him to watch to provide a distraction to his situation. He climbed in and out of bed and essentially required nonstop 1:1 care for over 5 hours, not because he was unstable, just busy! Through it all, Kendra provided empathetic and non-judgemental care.
He mentioned his wife was pregnant and twins were due to deliver within the next two weeks. He was going to need weeks of home care, dressing changes, and doses of IV antibiotics. He threatened to leave against medical advice, which was not in his, or his wife's best interest. By 4 am, Kendra had settled him down to the point that he stopped threatening to leave AMA and did stay in bed.
At 7 am, during shift change, Kendra helped the patient call his wife. The patient anxiously interrupted report saying, "My wife said she just started bleeding! What should she do?" Kendra advised that she should call her OB/GYN asap for instructions.
Fast forward to 11 pm the next night. Kendra saw the patient in the cafeteria and inquired how he and his wife were doing. The patient told her that his wife had delivered the twins earlier in the day and that they were doing well. He inquired if she could help him "get one of those pillows so he could sit" and asked if she thought he could get his dressing changes done while he was here at the hospital. Kendra created another pillow so he would be more comfortable and provided the patient with the phone number for Home Health Care so he would schedule the dressing change visits.
I don't know what happened to this patient after this final encounter. I would like to think that he was compliant with Home Health Care and Wound Care. I am certain this was more likely becasue Kendra paved the way by earning his trust by listening to and addressing his needs and concerns.
Due to an extensive per-rectal abscess, it was necessary for his incision to remain open and packed. This is very uncomfortable and his recreational drug use complicated his pain management. Kendra expertly managed his analgesics where he finally admitted his pain was "a little better" and the focus of his complaints shifted from pain to "I want a cigarette" and "I'm hungry". She arranged for nicotine patches, and a meal, and fashioned a pillow to make it more comfortable to sit. She provided her personal Kindle for him to watch to provide a distraction to his situation. He climbed in and out of bed and essentially required nonstop 1:1 care for over 5 hours, not because he was unstable, just busy! Through it all, Kendra provided empathetic and non-judgemental care.
He mentioned his wife was pregnant and twins were due to deliver within the next two weeks. He was going to need weeks of home care, dressing changes, and doses of IV antibiotics. He threatened to leave against medical advice, which was not in his, or his wife's best interest. By 4 am, Kendra had settled him down to the point that he stopped threatening to leave AMA and did stay in bed.
At 7 am, during shift change, Kendra helped the patient call his wife. The patient anxiously interrupted report saying, "My wife said she just started bleeding! What should she do?" Kendra advised that she should call her OB/GYN asap for instructions.
Fast forward to 11 pm the next night. Kendra saw the patient in the cafeteria and inquired how he and his wife were doing. The patient told her that his wife had delivered the twins earlier in the day and that they were doing well. He inquired if she could help him "get one of those pillows so he could sit" and asked if she thought he could get his dressing changes done while he was here at the hospital. Kendra created another pillow so he would be more comfortable and provided the patient with the phone number for Home Health Care so he would schedule the dressing change visits.
I don't know what happened to this patient after this final encounter. I would like to think that he was compliant with Home Health Care and Wound Care. I am certain this was more likely becasue Kendra paved the way by earning his trust by listening to and addressing his needs and concerns.