Our beloved Rebecca Dragonetti, Primary Care 3 RN, went above and beyond for one of our Veterans. This is nothing new. She does this often because this is who she is. She spends countless hours on the phone leading Veterans and family members through complex plans of care, patiently listening to their concerns, gently guiding anger, fear, sadness, and frustration into meaningful conversations and productive outcomes.

I affectionately refer to this as “Armchair Nursing with Rebecca,” listening as she provides a safe, comfortable space for learning and growing, leading with kindness and maturity. She is a bright light in our office and for our Veterans every day. Rebecca knew one of her Veterans had several appointments scheduled yesterday because she called him last week to review them. This Veteran has dementia and lives alone, and as she wanted to be 100% sure, he was reminded of his upcoming appointments.

Yesterday, anticipating his visit to Primary Care, she called him several hours before his appointment to remind him again. As she spoke to him, she realized he had left early to arrive here on time and had gotten lost. He drove too far east past the VA and was somewhere in Old Fort. Rebecca patiently asked him for landmarks to determine where he was, instructed him to pull over in a safe area, and called the VA police to alert local authorities. During this phone call, she relayed details and her concerns to the officers, discussed options for the Veteran, and listened attentively and remained respectful.

Rebecca then called the Veteran back, who had, in that short amount of time, gotten back on the highway to drive to the VA, repeating that he didn’t know where he was going. Rebecca stayed on the phone with him, reinforcing the correct highway signs and landmarks and leading him to exit 55. Between exit numbers, they talked about his service in the military, such a special yet delicate topic she consistently navigates with ease and subtle commendation. When he verbalized that he was near the Waffle House, she directed him to park there safely and told him folks from the VA would be down to escort him to our facility. At that point, she again called the VA police to alert them, and he was escorted here safely. While she was directing this situation, she asked another nurse to cover her scheduled phone appointment, ensuring that the Veteran still received the call and care he was expecting on time.

Rebecca then called the ER to give a report, providing a detailed description of his status and the day’s events. One of my favorite quotes is when she told the ER staff, “I’m not going to pretend I know what to do here,” illustrating how humble she is, how unafraid she was to push forward and see this through, that nothing else mattered except her Veteran. The unknown in this situation could have been left at that. Instead, Rebecca was willing to go the distance to ensure flawless communication, collaboration, and Veteran safety.

The Veteran was assessed by the ER and admitted to our hospital. Today, Rebecca visited him on the ward. He repeatedly asked her name, asked how she knew him, and didn’t remember why he was here. We will be in the office listening as she continues advocating for his and her other Veterans’ safety and best interests with genuine care and concern.