Meg Goldenfleet with Alicia Johnson
November 2014
Meg
Goldenfleet
,
RN
Resource Team
Indiana University Health Arnett
Lafayette
,
IN
United States

 

 

 

Meg is an exceptional nurse who is always present for her patients. Recently, she was primary care nurse for a patient who had returned from dialysis with very slight condition change. It was so subtle that, basically, she was listening to and following "her gut" that something had changed. None of the objective tests yet showed anything-but that did not stop her. She had cared for this patient numerous times in the past and just sensed that something had changed; something was wrong.

She communicated with Dialysis; she communicated with the physicians. Nothing specific was yet identified. She was persistent throughout the shift and the next day to discover that was wrong; what was changing. Tests were ordered. The initial CT was normal; but subsequent MRI showed the objective information she knew were surface-information to support what she had seen was seeing and feeling-that the patient had a pretty large brain hemorrhage that was terminal.

She had cared for him many times before. He did not have close family and was often alone. This concerned Meg, as his prognosis was very poor. Meg wanted to be sure he was not alone during this time. Meg "walked" with him during his last days. She sat with him after the end of her work shift. She was there; listening to him; being there for him.

She did not give up on him; not during the initial time of subtle physical changes and not during his path toward end of life. Meg exemplifies the Care and Compassion of a DAISY nurse.