Matt Hooper
January 2018
Matthew
Hooper
,
RN, BSN
Emergency Department
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
St. Louis
,
MO
United States

 

 

 

I would like to recognize Matt Hooper for his solid leadership and compassion that he displayed during a patient-centered event. The trauma team received a 17-year-old with a gunshot wound to the face. The patient was awake and talking when he arrived. The team was reassured before the patient was intubated that Matt, the Assistant Nurse Manager, was there (it was actually his day off). Matt came into the trauma room to help the trauma nurses as they worked with this young man for several hours. In that time, we got to know the patient's family with heartfelt compassion. The patient's condition began to deteriorate, and the team started CPR. Matt stayed in the room to help the nursing team while the family was present for the resuscitation efforts. It an extremely emotional time and effort for the nursing staff the doctor announced the "time of death". The staff cried with the family. Matt made sure all of the patients in the Emergency Room were cared for while being supportive and compassionate towards the nursing team. He made sure we were able to compose ourselves before going back to patient care. He arranged a debriefing and demonstrated strong leadership and compassion towards the staff. During the debriefing, we were informed more specifically of the extent of the patient's injuries. This information was important for the nurses to move past our devastation. If Matt had not called this meeting, we may have gone home with even heavier hearts. I just want to say how impressed and thankful I am that Matt used his own time to make the staff feel valued and that someone really cared.