Nurses Week

Lee Abramo,

In celebration of Nurses Week 2007, Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center is proud to share with you some of the more poignant moments in our nurses' lives…moments that show our nurses' extraordinary commitment to their patients, moments that make being a nurse incredibly fulfilling, and moments that touch your heart.

We asked our nurses to write "nursing exemplars." These are personal experiences that made positive impacts on their careers and their lives. Here are a few of their most memorable moments. Easing the Pain by Lee Abramo, MSN, R.N., Director of Education Co-Ethics and Compliance Officer

I became a nurse 31 years ago, because I had experienced very poor care in a hospital in New York City following abdominal surgery. I realized then that I wanted to provide gentle nursing care to my patients so that no one would have to experience the terrible care and unnecessary pain that I had experienced as a patient...even if I made a difference for only one person. My awareness of this difference came in 1997. I was at Border's Bookstore waiting to make a purchase when I looked up and noticed a lady on the other side of the counter looking very intently at me. I glanced away, and when I looked back, she was still looking at me. She suddenly began to walk around the counter, never taking her eyes off me. I actually was a little uncomfortable, until she came face-to-face with me, took my hand and said, "You were my nurse." I asked if I had been her nurse in the Emergency Department, where I worked for 15 1/2 years. She said that I had been her nurse "on the second floor." I suddenly realized that it had been 20 years since I had worked on the second floor, 2N, before transferring to the E.R. She said, "Remember me? I was the only patient that you had to bathe on the evening shift, because I would ask if you were working and I'd postpone my bath until you arrived. You were so gentle, and you were the only nurse who did not hurt me." It was as though I had a time machine that propelled me back 20 years! I remembered! This lady had been in a terrible car accident and fractured both femurs and her left humerus. It took a long time to complete her bath as I proceeded ever so gently in an effort not to move her broken bones. I remember feeling a sense of stress that I was falling behind in my other tasks. Still, I went slowly with her to prevent additional pain. I was stunned and humbled at the same time. How amazing to have this lady remember her nurse after 20 years! This is the power of nursing. We all have the ability and responsibility to make a difference in the lives of our patients. I will never forget her for helping me realize that I had achieved my goal of making a difference for "one person."

Kathleen Youngman, R.N.

A Dramatic Moment By Kathleen Youngman, R.N. Outpatient Surgery Nurse

Eileen Mueller, R.N., C.C.R.N.

Ever since I began my nursing career in 1966, my passion has been caring for my patients. Being prepared, well trained, and on top of things has always been very important to me professionally.

Several years ago when I was caring for medicalsurgical patients, I had quite a scare. I was administering the morning pill medications to one of my elderly patients when, even though she was sitting upright, she started to cough after swallowing the pills.

Her coughing immediately turned into choking and she started turning blue. In a split second, I swung around her, formed my hands in a ball, and performed the There are moments in the life of a nurse that enter the heart and fill it with the understanding and awareness that softly whispers, "This is why I became a nurse."

Heimlich maneuver. The pill flew out of her with such force that it struck the wall opposite her bed. Just as suddenly, she was able to breathe and her color returned to normal.

It was such a dramatic moment. Everything happened in a split second. We both hugged each other and cried with great joy and relief. Through her tears of joy she said, "You saved my life! I will never forget you." We were both almost paralyzed in the drama of the moment. I stayed with her to make sure she was okay before I notified her doctor.

I never forgot that patient or the crisis situation where my training made such a major difference. All of my training in emergency procedures was so well ingrained that I didn't even have to hesitate to act. I knew exactly what to do.

Lori Ameche, R.N.C.

That emergency certainly impacted my life. At times when I think back to this dear, elderly patient, I relive the tears and the gratitude on her face when she was able to regain her breath and say, "You saved my life." Her praises meant so much to me. After all, I was living my passion.

Angels in the Night By Eileen Mueller, R.N., C.C.R.N. Cardiac Care Nurse

For much of my nursing career, I have worked the night shift. And there have been many shifts that I will never forget!

On one of those shifts, I was taking care of a man in his late 50's. He had extremely severe cardiac disease and was not expected to live a month, if that. This was March and I learned that his daughter was getting married the end of May. Based his prognosis, I knew there was little chance of him being alive for his daughter's wedding

One evening when I was taking care of him, I went on my break, only to return to find the charge nurse in his room. The patient appeared very agitated. When I walked further into the room, the charge nurse said aloud to him, "Here's your nurse!" He grabbed both my hands and held on tightly. He was obviously frightened and appeared to be having visual hallucinations.

Diane Freeman

So I stayed at his bedside talking to him in a calming voice; trying to soothe him. I explained in detail his surroundings, where he was, why he was there, and what we were doing to care for him. I continued to hold his hands, letting go only briefly to perform a procedure and give him medication, but never leaving his bedside.

I have held the hand of many a patient, but this was the only patient for whom I held both hands from 1:30 a.m. until he finally felt safe and secure enough to fall asleep at 5:30 a.m. He went home shortly afterwards and miraculously lived to see his daughter marry. He died that August. I have heard that night nurses are called "angels in the night." I wonder to this day, if I was sent there that night to watch over him? Heartwarming Change To David West, R.N., Oncology From Your Colleagues

I want to write an Exemplar about David West, R.N., who is too humble to tell you about himself. I have seen him make heartwarming changes in many patients' lives, but I want to tell you about a special one.

This certain patient was admitted to Los Robles after an infection set into her incision sites after open heart surgery. She needed wound care and antibiotics, and she was not an agreeable patient. In fact, she was cranky, depressed, demanding, and lethargic. No one could seem to get her out of this mood.

Then, the first day David was assigned to care for her, they hit it off. He would joke with her and her family and go out of his way to help make her feel less embarrassed about her wounds which were in personal areas. Every day, she would ask if he was working that day and request he be assigned to her. David gladly took the assignment.

Gradually, David gained more and more of her trust. He was able to get her laughing and motivated to want to get better. She eventually began feeling so much better emotionally that she even started to thank other people involved in her care. It got to a point that her whole face would light-up the minute David came into her room. And I do believe that when it came time for her to be discharged to go home she was almost disappointed. Thank you David for making such a huge difference in her life!

Saving a Life Together by Lori Ameche, R.N.C. Labor and Delivery Nurse

"Doctor, your patient is bleeding heavily, and her blood pressure is dropping." After a brief update, he gives the orders I'm expecting, "Bring her back for a STAT Cesarean Section. I'm on my way in." As I'm pushing her bed back to the OR, with three experienced nurses helping me, I look at them and wonder, "How did I get here? How did I become a confident labor and delivery RN? Wasn't it just a few short years ago that I saw these nurses make knowledgeable calls to our talented obstetricians and watched in amazement as they collaborated as a team of professionals to ensure the best possible outcome for their patient? How did I become one of them?"

The answer is easy, really. They helped me. I remember tentatively inquiring about a position in the labor and delivery department. Expecting to be told that I didn't have what it takes, I was instead encouraged to take a fetal monitoring class. It was all new language to me, but I was intrigued. I wanted to know more. My manager, Fran, very graciously offered to train me in L & D. I was assigned two very dedicated mentors. Lynn and Terry spent countless hours reviewing every guideline and protocol with me. It was all overwhelming, but every step of the way my coworkers were always positive. They wanted me to succeed. They wanted me to be the best I could. They wanted the best for our patients and they thought I had what it takes!

Then after months of training, came the day I was on my own. However, in our labor and delivery unit, I quickly learned that you're never alone. We work as a team. In any labor room at any moment, if there is something out of the ordinary, there are instantly helping hands at the bedside to assist. "Let me help you with that IV. I'll get the oxygen mask on her. Can I call the doctor for you or would you like me to stay here with the patient for you while you make the call?" Everyone is always watching out for the others on the unit.

They trained me, taught me, pushed me, encouraged me, cheered me, coached me, and as I came to love labor and delivery, I also came to love them. They have not only made me a better nurse, but a better person as well. In the OR, as the doctor delivered a healthy baby from the midst of a placental abruption, his eyes looked over his surgical mask and he said, "Good call. You saved a life today." I knew who really deserved the credit. Because after all, we work together as a team!

A Child's Life in Her Hands To Darcy Denning R.N., MICN From Diane Freeman, MSN, R.N., Director, Emergency Services As told by Ken Saul, M.D., Pediatrician

One morning a couple of months ago, I examined a 14 year old boy in my office complaining of a slight fever and sore throat. Since the tests for strep and flu were negative, I sent him and his mom off on their merry way with instructions to get blood work, if the fever increased or new symptoms evolved. That afternoon the fever hit 104 degrees, so I ordered STAT lab work. When I received the results that evening, I was in L.A. and not on-call. When I called the mom to tell her about the lab tests results, she told me that her son's fever was now 105 degrees and he was unresponsive. I immediately told the mom to get him to Los Robles ER ASAP. I then called the ER and gave the teenager's history to the ER physician, Dr. Reyes.

By the time I got to the ER, I found the patient stable, all the necessary tests done, cooling measures in place, specialists called in, seizure and other medications started right away. The work Dr. Reyes and the ER staff had done was excellent, and most importantly the ER nurse, Darcy Denning, was with the patient providing one on one care.

Everything was done that could be done, except for the fact that an ICU bed was not available at the time. The only thing to do was to transfer the patient to another facility, not the most ideal choice. It was then that Darcy volunteered to stay with the patient, who was diagnosed with viral encephalitis, for one on one care until an ICU bed became available or the patient was stable enough to go to the regular medical care floor.

Darcy stayed with him all through the night. As the sun rose, the seizures stopped, the fever dropped and he was stable enough to go to the medical floor. The story has a complete happy ending, because the child fully recovered without any medical repercussions. This superior outcome may not have occurred, if it wasn't for Darcy's personal commitment to this patient.