Amy Gonglik
April 2023
Amy
Gonglik
,
BSN, RN, PCCN
Cardiology PCU East 8 Center
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States
She ensured collaborative, patient-focused, compassionate care and everyone working that day noticed it.
We had a patient on our unit for about 15 days whose wife was very involved in his care. The patient had a very complex medical history and was having an acute heart failure exacerbation which limited his ability to do things for himself, including advocate. His wife showed great compassion and concern for him, but at times her desire for knowledge and answers came across as hostile or demeaning towards the nursing staff. Amy happened to be caring for this patient on the day of his planned discharge. Amy knew the situation prior to meeting the patient, and she planned ahead in a way that ensured the smoothest possible discharge for this patient, as well as provided his wife with any information she needed. Amy started a communication thread with all providers involved in his care at the start of shift so that effective communication could occur until the time of discharge.
When the patient's wife arrived, she had numerous questions and concerns regarding his medications, follow-ups, labs, etc. Amy spent about an hour in the room, sitting and explaining all of the medications and follow-up appointments with the patient and his wife. She also wrote down any questions that remained on the door of the patient's room and asked the provider to come by to answer them. She asked me to keep an eye out on her other patients for her while this was occurring so that she could be sure to provide them with her complete attention, something they both clearly appreciated and felt so comforted by. Just prior to their discharge, Amy realized that the patient never received the rolling walker that was supposed to have been delivered to his room. Amy worked some serious magic by getting in contact with social work/case management/physical therapy and she had a walker by the time the patient was ready to leave.
Once the patient was discharged, Amy was stripping the room and realized that the patient had left his personal pillow. She voiced that his wife just mentioned it being his favorite and that he didn't sleep well without it. Amy quickly got the wife's phone number from the chart, called her to find out their location, and tracked them to the parking garage, all the way to their car! She was not letting them leave without that pillow. I watched in awe as Amy knowledgeably and compassionately cared for both this patient and his wife. She made it her goal to provide the best possible care that she could, while ensuring that the patient's wife felt comfortable and had any questions and/or concerns addressed. She cared for the WHOLE patient which I think sometimes goes unnoticed in our profession.
As a fellow RN, I really admired the way Amy handled the entire situation. She knew what this patient and his wife needed, and she found ways to provide it to them, often utilizing different specialties to do so. She ensured collaborative, patient-focused, compassionate care and everyone working that day noticed it. She went above and beyond her role as an RN and provided exceptional care. She is an exceptional nurse and deserves to be recognized for this and all of the other incredible things she does each shift. It is truly a privilege to work beside her.
When the patient's wife arrived, she had numerous questions and concerns regarding his medications, follow-ups, labs, etc. Amy spent about an hour in the room, sitting and explaining all of the medications and follow-up appointments with the patient and his wife. She also wrote down any questions that remained on the door of the patient's room and asked the provider to come by to answer them. She asked me to keep an eye out on her other patients for her while this was occurring so that she could be sure to provide them with her complete attention, something they both clearly appreciated and felt so comforted by. Just prior to their discharge, Amy realized that the patient never received the rolling walker that was supposed to have been delivered to his room. Amy worked some serious magic by getting in contact with social work/case management/physical therapy and she had a walker by the time the patient was ready to leave.
Once the patient was discharged, Amy was stripping the room and realized that the patient had left his personal pillow. She voiced that his wife just mentioned it being his favorite and that he didn't sleep well without it. Amy quickly got the wife's phone number from the chart, called her to find out their location, and tracked them to the parking garage, all the way to their car! She was not letting them leave without that pillow. I watched in awe as Amy knowledgeably and compassionately cared for both this patient and his wife. She made it her goal to provide the best possible care that she could, while ensuring that the patient's wife felt comfortable and had any questions and/or concerns addressed. She cared for the WHOLE patient which I think sometimes goes unnoticed in our profession.
As a fellow RN, I really admired the way Amy handled the entire situation. She knew what this patient and his wife needed, and she found ways to provide it to them, often utilizing different specialties to do so. She ensured collaborative, patient-focused, compassionate care and everyone working that day noticed it. She went above and beyond her role as an RN and provided exceptional care. She is an exceptional nurse and deserves to be recognized for this and all of the other incredible things she does each shift. It is truly a privilege to work beside her.