January 2015
Team
Ebola
Serious Communicable Diseases Unit
Emory University Hospital
Tucker
,
GA
United States
I am honored to write a letter of support for The Emory Healthcare Team Ebola's nomination for the National Patient Safety Foundation's DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. In August 2014, Emory Healthcare learned that they were going to admit two American healthcare professionals from Liberia who would be the first people in the US with confirmed Ebola Virus Disease to Emory University Hospital.
At a time of public fear, concern, and intense media attention, Emory Team Ebola stayed focused on what they are here for: to provide safe, patient-centered, compassionate care to the individuals who were in need. The team realized from the onset that in order to provide compassionate, patient-centered care, safety was first and foremost for not only the patients but for the nurses and physicians involved, other patients and staff in the hospital, and our community. Team Ebola quickly mobilized the Serious Communicable Disease Unit (SCDU) and established mechanisms to ensure the safe care of the patients and the care team.
Procedures were meticulously carried out by the nurses and interprofessional team to make sure they maintained a clean, safe environment for everyone in the unit. The nursing team strictly adhered to rigid protocols, which they continued to refine with gained experience and information. These protocols ensured the safety of all involved in the care of the patients, as well as the patients themselves. This included: Meticulous attention to donning and doffing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Fastidious hand sanitizing at every stage of donning, doffing, patient care, and spill management, Always working with a buddy/observer to ensure protocols were precisely followed, Specific, detailed processes around cleaning up and managing spills and handling any contaminated materials, Close/daily monitoring of each team member's personal health to ensure they were not at risk.
Commitment and discipline to adhere to the "Family Rules" that were recited by the team daily as a group at change of shift:
1. Follow all standard operating procedures to the best of your ability
2. Ensure that others follow all standard operating procedures
3. Report all accidents and/or near misses
4. Report any symptoms that match the pathogen (for the patients and yourself)
5. Report any new medical conditions. Team Ebola worked in full PPE for hours while following rigid procedures, paying meticulous attention to details, and fully supporting their patients and each other to ensure the safest environment possible.
This intense focus on safety stemmed from a deep sense of compassion and commitment to the patients our teams serve resulted in all four patients being discharged disease-free, and none of the team members were exposed to the illness. Team Ebola set the standard in safety for all of Emory Healthcare, as well as all health care organizations around the globe. Emory Healthcare received numerous requests to share safety protocols. The team compiled and posted the protocols on a public website, and to date, nearly 20,000 providers have downloaded the protocols for their use. Team Ebola made a difference for healthcare workers caring for Ebola patients across the world, and for that reason, they truly deserve of the National Patient Safety Foundation's DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
***
It is my privilege to write this letter of support for The Emory Healthcare Team Ebola's nomination for the National Patient Safety Foundation's DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. As the third patient with Ebola virus disease to be treated at Emory University Hospital, I have firsthand experience of the expertise, compassion, and excellence demonstrated by this remarkable team.
Prior to being infected with Ebola, I had treated hundreds of Ebola patients. I was acutely aware of the aggressive, dignity-robbing manner in which the disease progressed. In addition to providing expert clinical care, I also wanted to comfort my patients and preserve their humanity. When roles reversed and I found myself as the patient, I marveled at the way in which the team at Emory did both, providing the highest levels of technical and compassionate care as they fought for my life, my dignity, and my family. At a time when I was critically ill and most vulnerable, the team made the brave decision to provide aggressive treatments that had so far been considered futile in this setting. They administered a level of critical care that anyone familiar with Ebola care might have considered both risky and ineffective. All of this, whether mechanical ventilation, dialysis, or other aspects of my care, was provided with technical excellence and precision, with safety at the forefront. My life was saved through their bravery, but they also pushed the boundaries and altered the understanding of the treatment of critically ill Ebola patients.
Later, as I began my recovery, they encouraged me to push my own boundaries, even when I didn't want to or felt I couldn't. They pushed me when I needed to be pushed to get stronger; they gently insisted that I do more when I needed to and was able to. The tireless care the team provided was delivered with compassion and respect, with the utmost regard for preserving my personal dignity. I will always be indebted to this outstanding team for the loving care they provided; even more meaningful for me is the compassion they extended toward my family. I will never truly appreciate the dark place in which my family lived during the worst days of my illness. The team at Emory enveloped them into my care as they cared for me; they checked on my family constantly, facilitated their contact with me even though it probably made delivering care more difficult, and provided the space for my family to be an intimate part of my care even through an isolation window and over a phone line. Later, near the end of my hospitalization, they humored my brother and me when we bantered through the then-open isolation room door. The Emory team knew just how important my family was to my recovery, and did all in their power to ensure they were present, supported and cared for. I owe my life to the team at Emory, and the world has benefited from their bravery and innovative contributions to the knowledge of Ebola care.
At a time of public fear, concern, and intense media attention, Emory Team Ebola stayed focused on what they are here for: to provide safe, patient-centered, compassionate care to the individuals who were in need. The team realized from the onset that in order to provide compassionate, patient-centered care, safety was first and foremost for not only the patients but for the nurses and physicians involved, other patients and staff in the hospital, and our community. Team Ebola quickly mobilized the Serious Communicable Disease Unit (SCDU) and established mechanisms to ensure the safe care of the patients and the care team.
Procedures were meticulously carried out by the nurses and interprofessional team to make sure they maintained a clean, safe environment for everyone in the unit. The nursing team strictly adhered to rigid protocols, which they continued to refine with gained experience and information. These protocols ensured the safety of all involved in the care of the patients, as well as the patients themselves. This included: Meticulous attention to donning and doffing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Fastidious hand sanitizing at every stage of donning, doffing, patient care, and spill management, Always working with a buddy/observer to ensure protocols were precisely followed, Specific, detailed processes around cleaning up and managing spills and handling any contaminated materials, Close/daily monitoring of each team member's personal health to ensure they were not at risk.
Commitment and discipline to adhere to the "Family Rules" that were recited by the team daily as a group at change of shift:
1. Follow all standard operating procedures to the best of your ability
2. Ensure that others follow all standard operating procedures
3. Report all accidents and/or near misses
4. Report any symptoms that match the pathogen (for the patients and yourself)
5. Report any new medical conditions. Team Ebola worked in full PPE for hours while following rigid procedures, paying meticulous attention to details, and fully supporting their patients and each other to ensure the safest environment possible.
This intense focus on safety stemmed from a deep sense of compassion and commitment to the patients our teams serve resulted in all four patients being discharged disease-free, and none of the team members were exposed to the illness. Team Ebola set the standard in safety for all of Emory Healthcare, as well as all health care organizations around the globe. Emory Healthcare received numerous requests to share safety protocols. The team compiled and posted the protocols on a public website, and to date, nearly 20,000 providers have downloaded the protocols for their use. Team Ebola made a difference for healthcare workers caring for Ebola patients across the world, and for that reason, they truly deserve of the National Patient Safety Foundation's DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
***
It is my privilege to write this letter of support for The Emory Healthcare Team Ebola's nomination for the National Patient Safety Foundation's DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. As the third patient with Ebola virus disease to be treated at Emory University Hospital, I have firsthand experience of the expertise, compassion, and excellence demonstrated by this remarkable team.
Prior to being infected with Ebola, I had treated hundreds of Ebola patients. I was acutely aware of the aggressive, dignity-robbing manner in which the disease progressed. In addition to providing expert clinical care, I also wanted to comfort my patients and preserve their humanity. When roles reversed and I found myself as the patient, I marveled at the way in which the team at Emory did both, providing the highest levels of technical and compassionate care as they fought for my life, my dignity, and my family. At a time when I was critically ill and most vulnerable, the team made the brave decision to provide aggressive treatments that had so far been considered futile in this setting. They administered a level of critical care that anyone familiar with Ebola care might have considered both risky and ineffective. All of this, whether mechanical ventilation, dialysis, or other aspects of my care, was provided with technical excellence and precision, with safety at the forefront. My life was saved through their bravery, but they also pushed the boundaries and altered the understanding of the treatment of critically ill Ebola patients.
Later, as I began my recovery, they encouraged me to push my own boundaries, even when I didn't want to or felt I couldn't. They pushed me when I needed to be pushed to get stronger; they gently insisted that I do more when I needed to and was able to. The tireless care the team provided was delivered with compassion and respect, with the utmost regard for preserving my personal dignity. I will always be indebted to this outstanding team for the loving care they provided; even more meaningful for me is the compassion they extended toward my family. I will never truly appreciate the dark place in which my family lived during the worst days of my illness. The team at Emory enveloped them into my care as they cared for me; they checked on my family constantly, facilitated their contact with me even though it probably made delivering care more difficult, and provided the space for my family to be an intimate part of my care even through an isolation window and over a phone line. Later, near the end of my hospitalization, they humored my brother and me when we bantered through the then-open isolation room door. The Emory team knew just how important my family was to my recovery, and did all in their power to ensure they were present, supported and cared for. I owe my life to the team at Emory, and the world has benefited from their bravery and innovative contributions to the knowledge of Ebola care.