October 2023
Julie
Martin
,
RN
Resource Team
Centra
Lynchburg
,
VA
United States
Even during the restraint, I observed Julie calmly and therapeutically talking to the patient, and eventually, they were able to calm down.
I work with Julie Martin on the child and adolescent psychiatric unit (Krise6) at Virginia Baptist Hospital. Due to her excellence as a nurse, I would like to nominate her for a DAISY Award. On Sunday, Julie was the charge nurse on the unit. A larger patient, who was very strong, began to self-harm during the afternoon. Julie was aware of the risk of restraints and so did everything in her power to avoid them. Julie offered so many alternatives to the patient and did it with so much grace. When the patient was picking at their skin, Julie offered them Play-doh and music. Julie was expedient in calling a Code Atlas to make sure that there were enough staff members to provide maximum safety for the patient. When the patient escalated further and began to hit their head on the wall, Julie was able to quickly call the doctor and get medications ordered. Due to the patient's behaviors, a restraint was required, but due to the size of the patient, this was difficult. During the code, Julie was able to deliver medication calmly via an injection and consistently checked on the staff members to make sure everyone was all right. Even during the restraint, I observed Julie calmly and therapeutically talking to the patient, and eventually, they were able to calm down. The restraint was ended, and Julie made sure that the patient was unharmed and checked their vitals. Julie followed through and diligently charted the entire event. During the code, I was personally hands-on with the patient, and having Julie nearby to assist and run the code made me feel safe in an incredibly tumultuous and chaotic situation. What is so special about Julie is that this is her baseline; she is constantly performing at the highest level and providing excellent patient care. Julie always checks in with her team to make sure that they are doing all right and is willing to jump in wherever necessary. I believe that Julie is deserving of every award possible due to the caliber of her character and her excellence as a nurse.