Abby Cragun
March 2026
Abby
Cragun
,
BSN, RN
Intermountain Health Primary Children's Hospital
Salt Lake City
,
UT
United States
Abby is an exceptional leader, nurse, and human being. She consistently goes above and beyond for her patients, their families, and her coworkers.
Abby was our daytime Trauma Charge Nurse. In the early afternoon, we received a Trauma 2 patient who was under the influence of THC and had suffered a head injury while skiing. The patient had been experiencing altered mental status (AMS) on the mountain, which continued to be a significant issue after arriving in the Emergency Department.
When the patient first arrived, he was calm. After a few hours, however, his behavior changed dramatically. He became extremely agitated and was desperately trying to remove his cervical collar. He began kicking, swinging, and attempting to jump off the bed. He also tried to grab and bite multiple staff members while screaming loudly.
Abby remained at the patient's bedside throughout the entire event, providing the best care possible. She quickly and calmly escalated the situation to bring in additional staff. Even when issues arose with contacting Security, Abby remained composed and assigned roles to team members, ensuring everyone knew how to respond.
She assisted staff in safely holding the patient for an extended period until Security arrived and restraints could be applied. Even after restraints were in place and multiple sedative medications had been administered, the patient continued to fight staff. Abby continued to lead the team while ensuring both patient and staff safety remained the priority.
Ultimately, the patient required sedation and intubation in the trauma bay because of his extreme agitation. Throughout the entire ordeal, Abby remained cool, calm, and collected despite the stressful and chaotic circumstances.
After the patient was stabilized, Abby brought the patient's parents into the trauma bay. She compassionately explained what had happened and helped comfort them throughout the experience. She remained incredibly empathetic toward both the patient and his family, truly exemplifying what outstanding nursing leadership looks like.
Abby is an exceptional leader, nurse, and human being. She consistently goes above and beyond for her patients, their families, and her coworkers. This event showcased her remarkable leadership, clinical judgment, compassion, and professionalism during an extraordinarily stressful situation.
After everything had settled, Abby took the time to check in with each of the staff members who had been involved to make sure everyone was doing well. She thanked the team and expressed her appreciation for their efforts.
Abby is kind and compassionate with everyone she encounters. We are all incredibly fortunate to work with her.
When the patient first arrived, he was calm. After a few hours, however, his behavior changed dramatically. He became extremely agitated and was desperately trying to remove his cervical collar. He began kicking, swinging, and attempting to jump off the bed. He also tried to grab and bite multiple staff members while screaming loudly.
Abby remained at the patient's bedside throughout the entire event, providing the best care possible. She quickly and calmly escalated the situation to bring in additional staff. Even when issues arose with contacting Security, Abby remained composed and assigned roles to team members, ensuring everyone knew how to respond.
She assisted staff in safely holding the patient for an extended period until Security arrived and restraints could be applied. Even after restraints were in place and multiple sedative medications had been administered, the patient continued to fight staff. Abby continued to lead the team while ensuring both patient and staff safety remained the priority.
Ultimately, the patient required sedation and intubation in the trauma bay because of his extreme agitation. Throughout the entire ordeal, Abby remained cool, calm, and collected despite the stressful and chaotic circumstances.
After the patient was stabilized, Abby brought the patient's parents into the trauma bay. She compassionately explained what had happened and helped comfort them throughout the experience. She remained incredibly empathetic toward both the patient and his family, truly exemplifying what outstanding nursing leadership looks like.
Abby is an exceptional leader, nurse, and human being. She consistently goes above and beyond for her patients, their families, and her coworkers. This event showcased her remarkable leadership, clinical judgment, compassion, and professionalism during an extraordinarily stressful situation.
After everything had settled, Abby took the time to check in with each of the staff members who had been involved to make sure everyone was doing well. She thanked the team and expressed her appreciation for their efforts.
Abby is kind and compassionate with everyone she encounters. We are all incredibly fortunate to work with her.