February 2021
Christopher
Nichols
,
NP
Emergency Department
West Valley Medical Center

 

 

 

Chris's quick thinking and skill may have saved this patient's life.
A Pediatric patient was brought to the emergency department after he crashed his bicycle. The patient was triaged and brought back to the "Low Acuity Rapid Throughput" area. Chris assessed the patient and immediately came to me and told me that this patient was not a "low acuity" patient, that he needed to go to a room, and Chris would make sure and help with his care. I want to make sure Chris was recognized for his assessment skills, his ability to communicate the urgency of the situation even before any diagnostic tests were done. I also want to make sure Chris is recognized for his willingness to step in and step up and help his teammates and his patient and the patient's family. After some diagnostic exams were done, a skull fracture was found and the patient was a trauma transfer. Chris's quick thinking and skill may have saved this patient's life. And his excellent communication and willingness to help with the care of this child reduced greatly the amount of time taken to get this child to the proper definitive care. Great job Chris. Having him as part of my team makes me feel good about the level of care our patients are receiving.