Katie Gruenkemayer
February 2014
Katie
Gruenkemayer
,
RN
Same Day Surgery
St. Louis Children's Hospital
St. Louis
,
MO
United States

 

 

 

I am nominating Katie because she prevented a preoperative patient in Same Day Surgery from receiving twice the recommended dose of Humate. She was given four boxes of Humate by pharmacy, and was directed to reconstitute all four vials and administer to a child with Von Willebrand disease. The dosing was vague and confusing on the box of medication. She called pharmacy to verify the dose and instructions and was assured that the information given to her was correct.

After several conversations with anesthesia providers and repeated mathematical calculations, Katie was confident that pharmacy's recommendations were incorrect. She again discussed this with the pharmacist who then realized the error. Pharmacy then quickly and apologetically arrived in the Same Day department to retrieve the extra vials. The child was given the correct dose.

Through Katie's patience and diligence, she insured that a medication error did not occur. Katie is an astute clinician and patient advocate.