We had a Hispanic male arrive to our critical care unit. He had a question regarding his care, which was explained to him by a physician. However, he did not completely understand. Zolly stepped in and explained his care plan step by step, which allowed him to then make an informed decision regarding his care. He chose to be intubated which would leave him unable to make decisions regarding his care after intubation. With the rapport that Zolly had built with this patient, she was able to find out that his family was in Mexico and that he had a young son who lived with his grandmother, a best friend who lived locally, and the patient’s employer whom the patient requested that his “boss” be made aware of what was going on. Zolly was able to get the patient to write down the best friend’s name because she was unable to understand him because of his respiratory status. With only the best friend's name, Zolly began searching, reaching out to several individuals in her attempt to locate this friend and family. She was able to locate the friend, who was able to provide Zolly with the name and phone number of the patient's immediate family, who lived in Mexico, as well as other important information. Zolly called the family in Mexico and was able to communicate with them efficiently and provide detailed updates regarding the patient’s status as they were not able to come into the US to see their family member. On top of locating the family/friends, she was also able to call the place of employment and speak with the company owner. Zolly cared enough about this patient as well as his family that she searched for hours to locate them, on top of having her own patients to care for in another unit. Even though the outcome was not desired, the family knew what was going on and were comforted knowing that their loved one was taken care of during this time in the hospital. The owner of the company for which the patient worked volunteered to cover all memorial costs, leaving the family without any financial burden. Not only was Zolly able to carry out the patient’s wishes by notifying his friends and family, but she was also able to provide them with comfort during a very difficult time. Zolly could have easily turned away and not gone through the depths that she did to locate everyone this patient wanted to be notified, and the patient’s friends/family would not have received the closure they were so grateful for. She went above and beyond as she does every single day she clocks in, and I am so thankful to work alongside such a compassionate, determined, and knowledgeable nurse.

Note: This is Zolly's 2nd DAISY Award!