Erika Sanchez-Mesa
August 2019
Erika
Mesa
,
RN
Emergency Department
Novant Health UVA Culpeper Medical Center
Culpeper
,
VA
United States

 

 

 

A patient was called back to the ER for positive blood cultures. The patient was a metastatic cancer patient who was from New Jersey, who came to Virginia for the last chance at holistic treatment. The patient came in and was in septic shock. Erika took care of the patient and the family. The family wanted to transfer the patient to their home in New Jersey to see her 3 youngest children before she died. She has twin 10-year old's and a 7-year-old. The family wanted her at home, and she voiced her dying wish was to see her family. The patient was in and out of consciousness, hypotensive, tachycardic, and diaphoretic. The patient was actively dying. The husband drove from New Jersey to pick her up and drive her home.

Erika worked with the doctors and family. Erika was the Primary RN and translator. She was involved in heavy conversation that the patient might not survive the car ride home. Erika stayed hours past her shift to help ensure the family fully understood the magnitude of the situation including the risk of the patient dying in transport. Erika translated for the chaplain as they prayed over the dying patient with the family who was present. She was emotionally and physically invested. She along with the other staff got the patient into the vehicle and helped to situate her to be comfortable.

Erika displayed extreme professionalism and sympathized with the family. Erika went above and beyond. She was put in a difficult situation having to translate for this patient and family. I truly believe her care, compassion, and nursing ability made the family have a sense of calmness in such a sad time.