March 2024
Karen
Crane
,
ADN, RN
Franklin Community Based Outpatient Clinic
Western NC VA Health Care System
Asheville
,
NC
United States
Karen and the Veteran looked as if they were talking about good times on the front porch of his home. Karen showed empathy and kindness to this Veteran who was having a crisis and didn’t trust his family at that time.
Karen Crane needs to be recognized for the DAISY Award at the Franklin Community Based Outpatient Clinic (FCBOC). A Veteran in a mental health crisis came in at the FCBOC, pacing the floor in front of the medical assistant. The Veteran was agitated and refused to have a seat in the lobby or enter the clinic through the locked door. The mental health team was alerted but since Karen was the only nurse available she was alerted. Karen didn’t hesitate to come out and talk with the Veteran even though she is a primary care team nurse. Karen went out immediately to talk with the Vet. Her tone was calm and soft spoken. The Veteran refused to come to an exam room that was behind a locked door. Karen was able to calm the Vet down while pacing in the lobby. She offered to talk outside under the covered area. The veteran had a friend who drove him to the clinic but couldn’t calm him. The Veteran’s friend was upset and worried about him. The Veteran agreed to walk outside with Karen to the bench. He was very agitated with his family trying to commit him and that is why he refused to enter the locked door. While Karen and the Veteran were talking on the bench, he immediately calmed down, and his tone changed. His posture was more relaxed with Karen than with his friend who was with him. Karen and the Veteran looked as if they were talking about good times on the front porch of his home. Karen showed empathy and kindness to this Veteran who was having a crisis and didn’t trust his family at that time. Even as a non-mental health nurse, Karen showed skill and knowledge with this mental health crisis.