Katy Pittman
December 2018
Katy
Pittman
,
BSN, RN
Interventional Radiology
IU Health Bloomington Hospital
Bloomington
,
IN
United States

 

 

 

Recently, an outpatient was scheduled for a biopsy and arrived with bed bugs. The procedure ended up being canceled and rescheduled due to problems with equipment. Katy went above and beyond with the care she provided to this patient. This patient and wife were very challenging to work with because they were very simple people with low health care literacy and had physical disabilities of their own. Once we found out the procedure had to be rescheduled the patient verbalized they had no mode of transportation home because a friend dropped them off and then went to work. The Charge RN was in contact with a social worker multiple times to explain the situation and see what options were available to assist the patient and wife back home. Unfortunately, the patient's insurance would not cover medicab. The social worker then came down with two bus passes to offer the patient. After discussion with the patient and wife, Katy advocated for them explaining the patient was wheelchair bound and the wife deaf with physical disabilities of her own and they didn't know if the bus would actually go near their home. The social worker was contacted again to see if a cab could be provided to the patient, it was not available. Katy paid for a cab for the patient and wife to get home safely. In addition, during this whole time of trying to figure out transportation with the patient, which took about 2.5 hours [total time with this patient was over 4 hours] Katy stayed with the patient and called pest control services to coordinate treatment for their home. there are no financial assistance programs to help with bed bug extermination and this family had very few resources and income. Katy found a company that would work with the patient on financing the extermination for their home. Katy also thoroughly instructed the patient and wife on what needed to be done and how to prepare for their rescheduled biopsy date. The care Katy provided to the patient and his wife exemplified IU Health's motto of 'taking the extra step'. Katy said multiple times during the situation, 'it was just the right thing to do'. The care Katy offered portrayed professionalism and true compassion to her patients and was very humbling for RNs and other staff to witness.