Acute Care
December 2024
Acute Care
Acute Care Unit
Central Vermont Medical Center
Berlin
,
VT
United States
Vickie Poulin, RN,
Ann Bertelsen, RN,
Bonnie Meyer, RN,
Winter Morse, RN,
Libby Grenier, RN,
Dr. Christian Bean, MD
Nadia Faulkner, RN,
Mike Shaw, PA
Ann Bertelsen, RN,
Bonnie Meyer, RN,
Winter Morse, RN,
Libby Grenier, RN,
Dr. Christian Bean, MD
Nadia Faulkner, RN,
Mike Shaw, PA
Every step of his journey, someone was looking out for him.
A 6-year-old was seen in the ED with an elbow fracture after an injury. The patient was seen and evaluated in the ER by Mike Shaw, PA, who consulted Dr. Bean from Ortho. Dr. Bean evaluated the patient, and when he went to add the case on for the next surgical day, he swung by PACU to see if anyone was there who could give information to the anxious patient and mom about what to expect the next day.
Dr. Bean saw Vickie Poulin, who was here late, and asked, “Do you want to go make someone’s day perfect?” Vickie, who was unsure of what that meant but is always willing to help, said, “Sure.” Dr. Bean then said, “Go to the ER, introduce yourself to this kid, and give him a face to see so they can know what to expect, and do what you do.”
Vickie went to see this child, who was accompanied by his mom, and they both seemed unsure and scared being in the ER and knowing they were facing surgery the next day. Vickie worked her magic and quickly built a rapport with the scared boy by noticing that he had dinosaurs on his shirt. “Do you like dinosaurs?” It was enough of an icebreaker that she was then able to navigate through the questions she needed to prepare for surgery the next day, and then give them the information they needed to feel prepared.
She discovered that he also liked jujutsu and that this was how he had sustained his injury. She left them when Mike Shaw, PA from the ED, was coming back to apply the cast. Vickie introduced Mike as her friend, as they knew each other. CVMC is our community.
The next day, when the child arrived with his mom, they were both crying in the waiting room and asking for Vickie. Our admin, Caylin, tried to locate Vickie, who then went out to greet them in the waiting room. It was the same familiar face that he saw the day before. She helped get him and his mom into the pre-op area, and she had a few plastic dinosaurs waiting for him in his chart. What a lucky kid to have such a great experience with surgery!
He was then kindly greeted by Bonnie, who helped him get ready for surgery. He was able to ride into the OR with his mom, just as Vickie had promised. The OR team took care to make sure that his stuffed owl stayed with him throughout his stay and was there as he was handed off to the recovery staff. Vickie notes that Ann B., Winter, and Libby all took fabulous care of him in the recovery room.
Pediatrics is not something that we see often at CVMC, but for this kid, as Vickie stated, “Every step of his journey, someone was looking out for him.”
Dr. Bean saw Vickie Poulin, who was here late, and asked, “Do you want to go make someone’s day perfect?” Vickie, who was unsure of what that meant but is always willing to help, said, “Sure.” Dr. Bean then said, “Go to the ER, introduce yourself to this kid, and give him a face to see so they can know what to expect, and do what you do.”
Vickie went to see this child, who was accompanied by his mom, and they both seemed unsure and scared being in the ER and knowing they were facing surgery the next day. Vickie worked her magic and quickly built a rapport with the scared boy by noticing that he had dinosaurs on his shirt. “Do you like dinosaurs?” It was enough of an icebreaker that she was then able to navigate through the questions she needed to prepare for surgery the next day, and then give them the information they needed to feel prepared.
She discovered that he also liked jujutsu and that this was how he had sustained his injury. She left them when Mike Shaw, PA from the ED, was coming back to apply the cast. Vickie introduced Mike as her friend, as they knew each other. CVMC is our community.
The next day, when the child arrived with his mom, they were both crying in the waiting room and asking for Vickie. Our admin, Caylin, tried to locate Vickie, who then went out to greet them in the waiting room. It was the same familiar face that he saw the day before. She helped get him and his mom into the pre-op area, and she had a few plastic dinosaurs waiting for him in his chart. What a lucky kid to have such a great experience with surgery!
He was then kindly greeted by Bonnie, who helped him get ready for surgery. He was able to ride into the OR with his mom, just as Vickie had promised. The OR team took care to make sure that his stuffed owl stayed with him throughout his stay and was there as he was handed off to the recovery staff. Vickie notes that Ann B., Winter, and Libby all took fabulous care of him in the recovery room.
Pediatrics is not something that we see often at CVMC, but for this kid, as Vickie stated, “Every step of his journey, someone was looking out for him.”