Jill Kanuck
September 2023
Jill
Kanuck
,
BSN, RN-BC
PACU
WellSpan York Hospital
York
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

Jill was frustrated, emotional, and tearful, wanting the right thing to be done. Jill went above and beyond for this family to make sure the best care was provided for the patient and husband.
We had a very difficult situation that occurred in PACU. The patient was an outpatient open reduction internal fixation of the ankle. The patient had a fall and had a significant fracture of the ankle. Jill Kanuck was assigned to be her nurse in PACU.  This surgery was scheduled as an outpatient. The patient had fallen a few weeks prior and was admitted to the hospital and sent home awaiting her surgery. Jill was made aware of many concerns regarding the patient and her older husband. The patient, who is 76 years old, is the primary caregiver to her 89-year-old husband. The patient does not drive and has difficulty getting around. She was non-weight bearing on the operative leg. She also had nerve block, so the leg was numb. The patient voiced her concerns about not being able to take care of herself and her husband at home. She was very tearful and concerned about going home. Jill was very concerned that the living situation that the patient was going home to was not safe. She contacted the attending orthopedic surgeon who was adamant that the patient was cleared by OT and PT to go home. This clearance was from her previous admission when she originally fractured her ankle. Jill spent hours advocating for the right thing to be done, having her admitted to the hospital to be reevaluated by PT, OT, and social workers to provide the best care possible for the patient. Despite opposition from the attending, Jill pushed and pushed to get the patient admitted to the hospital for her and her husband's safety. It would have been very easy for Jill to send the patient home. Jill spoke with the anesthesiologists and also requested orthopedic doctors to place a hospitalist consult. The hospitalist was at the bedside and did not want to admit the patient. She was very sedate, dropping her oxygen sats to low 80s. Jill continued to push the doctors to do the right thing for the patient. The attending surgeon at bedside and Jill pleaded with him to speak with the hospitalist and have them admit the patient. Finally, after hours of pushing for the right thing to be done, it was decided to admit her to the hospital. Advocation is something a nurse does every day with nearly every patient. Jill was frustrated, emotional, and tearful, wanting the right thing to be done. Jill went above and beyond for this family to make sure the best care was provided for the patient and husband. Jill handled talking to the doctors with professionalism and respect while keeping her emotions in check, knowing that what she was doing was right for the patient. Jill is a prime example of a DAISY Nurse.