I am writing to let you know about the exceptional performance of one of the RCRH MICU critical care nurses this past Monday & Tuesday morning. Adam Bergdale was taking care of a nineteen year old young woman in room 518 who had been admitted with severe pyelonephritis and septic shock. She was tachypneic with progressive tachycardia, altered mental status, hypoxemia, and eventually hypotention.
Adam called the eICU early in his shift to let me know that he was concerned about his patient that she was septic and that by multiple indicators was becoming less stable. We worked together by phone and via the two way camera for most of the rest of the night addressing blood pressure and volume status, starting BiPAP and eventually intubating, and ordering and treating multiple abnormal labs. Adam took lead on all of this, speaking with other services when needed, and thinking clinically and staying one step ahead of events throughout the night. Although the situation was demanding and complex with multiple issues and even more orders coming his way, he calmly managed it all.
By sunrise, his patient was stable, resting comfortably – a stark contrast to what might have been had he not been so vigilant. During my last phone conversation with him when he was finally able to sit and catch up on paper work, we reviewed “loose ends” including an order for SCDs. I said, “After all of this we do not want her to end up with a DVT or PE. I’d like her to have the chance to grow to be an old grey haired lady.” Adam chuckled and said, “So do I”.
The patient is now extubated, alert, hemodynamically stable, improving – thanks mostly to Adam’s excellent care. Monday evening, he was the best of critical care nursing and I want you to be aware of his exceptional performance.