Mishelle Becker picked up on subtle cues from a very scared patient, which led to a report of abuse. It was a day like any other. The business in pre-op was at an all-time high, and the nurses were all stretched pretty thin. This day, Mishelle approached me, the charge nurse, and told me that something just "didn't feel right" when she asked the questions about abuse and if home was a safe place.

When asked, the patient, who was wearing a mask, looked at her and nodded yes, but Mishelle picked up a small hint of change in her eyes, her voice, and her demeanor. Mishelle was adamant that something was not right, and we came up with a plan to get the patient alone. When the OR nurse came to pick up the patient for surgery, we said our goodbyes as normal to the family and escorted them out of the pre-op area as we wheeled their family member down the hallway.

Once the family was out of the unit and out of sight, Mishelle entered a new room with the patient and took this opportunity to ask the patient if she was truly safe at home. The patient began to shake and cry and explained to us that she was in a very abusive domestic violent situation at home, and her severe injuries that she was having treated with surgery were from her wife. She was in fear of her wife and stated, "I can never get away from her because we live together and she is retired." After this information was revealed, the appropriate actions were taken to make this patient safe and hopefully get her on a path to a safe environment.

I just think that Mishelle did an amazing job picking up the little cues that were given, and it was because of her that this patient was able to be helped. I think far too often we become so busy with work, especially in the fast-paced environment like Pre-op, and we forget to take time to really listen to our patients. Paying attention to the small details really can save someone's life. On this day, Mishelle was an angel to this patient.