Alicia Ethington
January 2024
Alicia
Ethington
,
BSN, RN
Emergency Department
Phelps Health
Rolla
,
MO
United States
I've seen combat soldiers not react any faster to gunfire than the nurse, Alicia, who was behind the desk.
On Thursday, my wife died, then came back, woke up on Friday and by Saturday was getting back to normal. My wife started choking that morning and I rushed her to the hospital.
I've seen combat soldiers not react any faster to gunfire than the nurse, Alicia Ethington, who was behind the desk. She literally sprang up, grabbed a wheelchair and ran to the car, while talking on her communicator. When they opened the car door she had two helpers behind her. I heard her say; "She's blue-no pulse." They snatched her out of the car onto the wheelchair then up onto the gurney which had appeared with more helpers. I had to move the car about 20 feet to a parking space, then ran and caught them racing down the hallway. That first, fantastic, beautiful nurse Alicia was on all fours on top of my wife on the gurney frantically pumping away with CPR and kept at it until others got the airway clear and put a bulb tube down her. I don't know how many people were in that room, at least a dozen, cutting clothes, starting IV's, digging in her throat, listening to her body and whatever else, all at the same time. Time is hard to recall in that situation but in a few minutes my wife started breathing on her own.
The next big worry was; Will she wake up? They did all kinds of tests, x-rays, and brain scans (MRl's) and nothing showed abnormality, but our doctor (who is the best we've had) was worried. He told us that in the next 24 to 48 hours we should know something. He was worried that her brain had gone too long without oxygen. Thursday evening she woke up, recognizing our daughter, who was still there, and responded correctly to a couple questions. On Friday afternoon they removed a monstrosity of a tube that was down her throat and by evening she could whisper. When I arrived Saturday morning she was sitting up in bed fully alert and carrying on normal conversations.
On Saturday afternoon she was moved out of ICU to a room, for a few days. We will celebrate 58 years of marriage, maybe she can get home then.
I met some hero's at Phelps Health. Their response is; "Not a hero just doing our job." They are hero's especially Alicia who was at the Emergency desk on Thursday. I think she kept enough oxygenated blood going to my wife’s brain to prevent any serious damage.
I've seen combat soldiers not react any faster to gunfire than the nurse, Alicia Ethington, who was behind the desk. She literally sprang up, grabbed a wheelchair and ran to the car, while talking on her communicator. When they opened the car door she had two helpers behind her. I heard her say; "She's blue-no pulse." They snatched her out of the car onto the wheelchair then up onto the gurney which had appeared with more helpers. I had to move the car about 20 feet to a parking space, then ran and caught them racing down the hallway. That first, fantastic, beautiful nurse Alicia was on all fours on top of my wife on the gurney frantically pumping away with CPR and kept at it until others got the airway clear and put a bulb tube down her. I don't know how many people were in that room, at least a dozen, cutting clothes, starting IV's, digging in her throat, listening to her body and whatever else, all at the same time. Time is hard to recall in that situation but in a few minutes my wife started breathing on her own.
The next big worry was; Will she wake up? They did all kinds of tests, x-rays, and brain scans (MRl's) and nothing showed abnormality, but our doctor (who is the best we've had) was worried. He told us that in the next 24 to 48 hours we should know something. He was worried that her brain had gone too long without oxygen. Thursday evening she woke up, recognizing our daughter, who was still there, and responded correctly to a couple questions. On Friday afternoon they removed a monstrosity of a tube that was down her throat and by evening she could whisper. When I arrived Saturday morning she was sitting up in bed fully alert and carrying on normal conversations.
On Saturday afternoon she was moved out of ICU to a room, for a few days. We will celebrate 58 years of marriage, maybe she can get home then.
I met some hero's at Phelps Health. Their response is; "Not a hero just doing our job." They are hero's especially Alicia who was at the Emergency desk on Thursday. I think she kept enough oxygenated blood going to my wife’s brain to prevent any serious damage.