2017 Annual Nursing Report

Devin LaPuasa, BSN, RN, Emergency Department 3rd Quarter, 2017 Devin LaPuasa’s nomination was submitted by a coworker who described her extraordinary efforts to comfort a trauma patient in the ED. The patient had been in a motor vehicle accident which resulted in his wife passing away right beside him. He was not seriously injured himself, but was understandably extremely distraught. Devin was able to establish a rapport with him and learned that his dog was in the car and had survived the accident but had been taken to the animal shelter. Devin gained approval from administration to bring the dog to the patient. She personally went to the shelter to get the dog (arriving just before they closed), and set up the ED Doctor’s Room for the dog and patient to stay together until his family (still hours away) could arrive. Devin gave up much of her personal time with her family to help make the patient’s worst day of his life a little better. When the patient saw the dog, there was not a dry eye in the room. Before leaving later that night, the patient expressed how truly thankful he was to Devin and how happy it made him to have his dog there with him. Angela Johnson, BSN, RN Birthing Center 4th Quarter, 2017 Angela Johnson’s nomination was submitted by one of our OB/GYN physicians whose patient was admitted to the Birthing Center with respiratory arrest. The patient was extremely difficult to treat and stabilize and ended up in the ICU. Angie recognized the urgency of the situation for this patient who was 32 weeks pregnant and contacted the physician. She remained calm even as the physician admittedly was “barking out orders left and right – changing orders as the patient and her husband allowed.” The physician stated that Angie never complained, criticized, or lost her professionalism and she helped the physician save this patient. “Without her dedication to help me treat this patient, there would have been a very different outcome. She is an asset to this unit.”

31