Carol Herndon
February 2024
Carol
Herndon
,
RN
Perioperative Services
VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital
South Hill
,
VA
United States
Carol communicated with the patient the entire time he was in the surgical unit to let him know what was going on and what was being done, which greatly calmed him and made him and his family more comfortable.
A patient came in for a procedure and was known to have atrial fibrillation. Carol was working up the patient with another nurse and noted that the irregularity of his heart and pulse rate seemed different than what was noted on the pulse oximetry probe. Carol proceeded to put him on the monitor to check his heart rate and rhythm to double check. The patient was in AFib. However, his heart rate was rapid, between the 130s and 160s. The patient was not on any rate-controlled drugs and said he felt perfectly fine. Carol made anesthesia aware, and more investigating was done. The procedure was canceled, and she took it upon herself to contact cardiology after speaking to the surgeon. Cardiology gave orders for a rate-controlled drug to be administered while he was here to make sure of the effects it would have.
After administration, Carol watched him diligently and then let the physician know the outcome, that his rate had come down significantly. Cardiology decided to start him on a rate-controlled drug for at-home purposes, and Carol pushed to get him a cardiac appointment as soon as possible and also brought up that the notes noted that he needed an ECHO, but no order was put in. Carol communicated throughout the day with the cardiologist to remind him to order the medications and that an order was needed in order for the ECHO to be done. She communicated with the patient the entire time he was in the surgical unit to let him know what was going on and what was being done, which greatly calmed him and made him and his family more comfortable. The patient was sent home, and Carol spoke with him that afternoon. He still did not have a prescription for his medication called in. She again reached out to cardiology.
The following morning, Carol reached out to the patient to check and see if his prescription had been called in. Again, he told her it had not. She again contacted cardiology and made sure to speak to someone regarding the prescription. Carol diligently worked to make sure he received the best care while he was in surgical services, kept him in the loop of everything happening, advocated getting his prescriptions as soon as possible, and that the provider was aware that orders were still needed for the testing they wanted to perform.
After administration, Carol watched him diligently and then let the physician know the outcome, that his rate had come down significantly. Cardiology decided to start him on a rate-controlled drug for at-home purposes, and Carol pushed to get him a cardiac appointment as soon as possible and also brought up that the notes noted that he needed an ECHO, but no order was put in. Carol communicated throughout the day with the cardiologist to remind him to order the medications and that an order was needed in order for the ECHO to be done. She communicated with the patient the entire time he was in the surgical unit to let him know what was going on and what was being done, which greatly calmed him and made him and his family more comfortable. The patient was sent home, and Carol spoke with him that afternoon. He still did not have a prescription for his medication called in. She again reached out to cardiology.
The following morning, Carol reached out to the patient to check and see if his prescription had been called in. Again, he told her it had not. She again contacted cardiology and made sure to speak to someone regarding the prescription. Carol diligently worked to make sure he received the best care while he was in surgical services, kept him in the loop of everything happening, advocated getting his prescriptions as soon as possible, and that the provider was aware that orders were still needed for the testing they wanted to perform.