Barb
Moran
March 2012
Barb
Moran
,
RN APN
Psychiatric Consultant Liaison
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital
Downers Grove
,
IL
United States
I had a schizophrenic patient that had to stop her medications. Her husband brought her to the hospital with chest pain, and a psych consult was ordered as the patient had no psych meds ordered and she was very anxious. Barb Moran knew the patient was there and called to say the psychiatrist would be rounding sometime soon. The patient was sent down to cardiac testing for a stress test, and she was very anxious and upset prior to leaving the floor. Her husband went with her to help keep her calm.
Cardiac testing called the floor about an hour later saying the patient was becoming uncontrollable and security was on their way. I called Barb and she said she would find the psych MD right away. Meanwhile, a code gray was called on my patient in cardiac testing and when she returned to the floor she was having a full blown psychotic episode. Six people were holding her down and she was screaming. Barb was on the unit when she returned and as we were getting the patient settled, I saw Barb literally running to the next unit to find the doctor.
The doctor ordered haldol IM and Barb advocated for her patient and said in her state that would be too invasive for her to tolerate and got the order changed to IV. She then came into the patient’s room and stayed with her and her husband for over 1/2 hour trying to talk to her and calm her. She was so incredibly comforting and compassionate with someone so obviously in distress. The patient was really struggling with her illness but Barb never left the room. Her caring for the patient was obvious to everyone including the husband, and her calm demeanor in such a stressful situation helped the staff be calmer as well. When the patient finally calmed down and fell asleep, Barb finally left and worked to find her a bed in the north pavilion.
I have worked with Barb many times before, but this time I was really struck by how dedicated she is to that patient population and how caring and compassionate she is with truly sick people that need our help. Barb Moran is very deserving of this award.
Cardiac testing called the floor about an hour later saying the patient was becoming uncontrollable and security was on their way. I called Barb and she said she would find the psych MD right away. Meanwhile, a code gray was called on my patient in cardiac testing and when she returned to the floor she was having a full blown psychotic episode. Six people were holding her down and she was screaming. Barb was on the unit when she returned and as we were getting the patient settled, I saw Barb literally running to the next unit to find the doctor.
The doctor ordered haldol IM and Barb advocated for her patient and said in her state that would be too invasive for her to tolerate and got the order changed to IV. She then came into the patient’s room and stayed with her and her husband for over 1/2 hour trying to talk to her and calm her. She was so incredibly comforting and compassionate with someone so obviously in distress. The patient was really struggling with her illness but Barb never left the room. Her caring for the patient was obvious to everyone including the husband, and her calm demeanor in such a stressful situation helped the staff be calmer as well. When the patient finally calmed down and fell asleep, Barb finally left and worked to find her a bed in the north pavilion.
I have worked with Barb many times before, but this time I was really struck by how dedicated she is to that patient population and how caring and compassionate she is with truly sick people that need our help. Barb Moran is very deserving of this award.