Erik Hancock
April 2024
Erik
Hancock
,
RN
Medical ICU
University of Virginia Health
Charlottesville
,
VA
United States
One of the marks of an excellent critical care nurse is the ability to maintain composure despite emergency, family challenges, patient behaviors or evolving circumstances. Despite all the upheaval, Erik maintained excellent composure, particularly toward the family in their grief.
Erik displayed a level of nursing excellence well deserving of reward recognition. In the MICU we have had a long term patient and family who required extensive nursing attention. The patient had an extended, complicated course over a couple of months. In addition to his medical needs, the family had been very challenging. They had come to the point of being combative several times- requiring management intervention multiple times a week and a behavior contract with the Director-level staff. Care for the patient and his family on a standard day required an intense level of engagement, attention to detail, and trust building at what could feel like every moment.
And then came the worst day. The patient's clinical symptoms had begun to change - he wasn't mentally able to engage the way he had been prior. In the morning when Erik came in to a day shift, the patient was minimally responsive. Erik worked with the LIP team to make a trip to CT to evaluate the patient. There were several interprofessional dynamics that were challenging that day, and he navigated them with a remarkable level of professionalism - without complaining, raising his voice or acting offended. He maintained a high level of respect for each person he interacted with. While in CT, he recognized clinical changes and reached out to respiratory therapist to have them emergently come to help. While the patient became a little more unstable, Erik and the RT were able to communicate with the NP and make the appropriate adjustments to keep the patient safe while still getting the necessary scan.
The CT results were devastating, showing very poor outcomes for the patient. Erik found out this information first. In a small window of time, he was able to adjust to the patient's new clinical needs quickly and quietly in such a way that it allowed the LIP team to deliver the bad news and a comprehensive plan simultaneously.
The rest of the afternoon was a fast-moving chain of events with lots of ups and downs. Erik remained steady throughout all of it. One of the marks of an excellent critical care nurse is the ability to maintain composure despite emergency, family challenges, patient behaviors or evolving circumstances. Despite all the upheaval, Erik maintained excellent composure, particularly toward the family in their grief. He was even, kind, respectful, and firm. He recognized and responded to clinical indicators as the patient's disease progressed and ultimately was able to deliver the patient to the operating room, where his care continued.
Erik's composure in this situation was remarkable. Many of our staff have struggled in their care to this family, and his ability to offer compassionate, thoughtful, clinically solid, and nuanced nursing care is only one example of his excellence as a nurse.
And then came the worst day. The patient's clinical symptoms had begun to change - he wasn't mentally able to engage the way he had been prior. In the morning when Erik came in to a day shift, the patient was minimally responsive. Erik worked with the LIP team to make a trip to CT to evaluate the patient. There were several interprofessional dynamics that were challenging that day, and he navigated them with a remarkable level of professionalism - without complaining, raising his voice or acting offended. He maintained a high level of respect for each person he interacted with. While in CT, he recognized clinical changes and reached out to respiratory therapist to have them emergently come to help. While the patient became a little more unstable, Erik and the RT were able to communicate with the NP and make the appropriate adjustments to keep the patient safe while still getting the necessary scan.
The CT results were devastating, showing very poor outcomes for the patient. Erik found out this information first. In a small window of time, he was able to adjust to the patient's new clinical needs quickly and quietly in such a way that it allowed the LIP team to deliver the bad news and a comprehensive plan simultaneously.
The rest of the afternoon was a fast-moving chain of events with lots of ups and downs. Erik remained steady throughout all of it. One of the marks of an excellent critical care nurse is the ability to maintain composure despite emergency, family challenges, patient behaviors or evolving circumstances. Despite all the upheaval, Erik maintained excellent composure, particularly toward the family in their grief. He was even, kind, respectful, and firm. He recognized and responded to clinical indicators as the patient's disease progressed and ultimately was able to deliver the patient to the operating room, where his care continued.
Erik's composure in this situation was remarkable. Many of our staff have struggled in their care to this family, and his ability to offer compassionate, thoughtful, clinically solid, and nuanced nursing care is only one example of his excellence as a nurse.