Jessica Gianoli
August 2016
Jessica
Gianoli
,
RN
Progressive Care Unit
Providence Alaska Medical Center
Anchorage
,
AK
United States

 

 

 

I was a patient in the Progressive Care Unit after my heart valve replacement surgery under the care of Jessica Gianoli. My heart had a Medtronic External Pacemaker, Model 2392 attached. It had been attached since the day of my surgery.
When Jessica came on duty, she began to notice that something wasn't quite right about the heart display on the monitor at her nurse's station. She contacted the Head Nurse / Nurse Educator and they came into my room to look at the pacemaker. They discovered that the two leads, (white and blue), were attached to the pacemaker backwards. My husband researched the Medtronic 5392 Technical Manual and found the following information: "Lead Systems - Potential adverse effects related to the use of pacing leads systems used in conjunction with the temporary pacemaker include, but are not limited to the following: -- Inappropriate lead connections, -- Inadvertent disconnection of the lead system, -- Lead fracture of displacement causing intermittent or complete loss of capture and/or sensing, -- Perforation and tamponade.
While no adverse effects took place that I am aware of, I certainly credit Jessica with her astute attention to detail in noticing that the pacemaker was incorrectly connected. It is important to note that numerous doctors and nurses did not see or notice this for the 6 days prior.
In addition, on two separate occasions during my stay, Jessica stopped by on her lunch break to see how I was doing and offer me encouragement, even though she was not assigned to me as my nurse on those days. I thanked Jessica several times for her exceptional care and astute attention to detail. She displayed exceptional care for me, as her patient, and exemplifies her calling to be a nurse. She is an exceptional person, caregiver and nurse and I was privileged to have her caring for me.
Jessica exemplifies the Nurses' Creed: May my life be devoted to service and to the high ideals of the nursing profession. Over the course of my 16 day stay at the hospital, all of my caregivers were very good; however, Jessica stood out as being a very deserving nurse of the DAISY Award.