Peter Leighton, BSN, RN

Peter exemplified his ability to advocate for the patient through excellent team communication. It was a typical busy morning on this unit with RNs accessing patients, giving meds, and rounding. The patient had some abdominal pain that was initially assessed that morning and hoped to be improved with chest tube removal, good bowel care, and some mobility, as the patient was just a couple of days post op from an aortic valve replacement.

Peter circled back with the provider within a couple of hours when the pain did not improve. By noontime, we proceeded with a CTA of the abdomen and pelvis, which showed pneumoperitoneum and high suspicion for ulcer perforation. Trauma services performed an emergent robotic-assisted laparoscopic Graham patch repair of the perforated marginal ulcer, and the patient was transferred to the ICU. The persistence and attention to detail played an integral part in this patient's care. Thank you, Peter!