Janette Rodes-Sanchez
November 2024
Janette
Rodes-Sanchez
,
BSN, RN, CCRN
Medical ICU
UCI Health
Orange
,
CA
United States

 

 

 

Janette spoke with the child and tried to involve her in making handprints of her mother despite the child's difficult and mixed reactions due to developmental issues.
Janette went above and beyond to assist during a challenging patient situation, addressing the needs of both the patient's family and the nursing team. The patient was in critical condition in the MICU, and escalation of care happened very quickly within a single shift. By the end of the shift, maximum medical efforts had been reached without a positive response. The medical team spoke with the family, informing them that nothing more could be done, and that death was imminent. The patient's social dynamics were difficult, including a younger daughter with special needs. The situation was chaotic, with multiple nurses assisting at the bedside. The child was very distraught, crying, and asking questions, while family members gave conflicting responses and provided no therapeutic support. Janette attempted to de-escalate the situation by finding a social worker or child life specialist, but these resources were not available after hours. Janette then went into the room to console the child. Staff members in the unit were visibly affected by the situation. Janette spoke with the child and tried to involve her in making handprints of her mother despite the child's difficult and mixed reactions due to developmental issues. Since the patient was not under palliative care, no additional support was provided for this acute and traumatic situation.

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