Rebecca Nicols
April 2022
Rebecca
Nicols
,
BS, RN
Medical Intermediate Care Unit
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Hershey
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

Becca's ability to recognize emergency over urgency, hold a crucial conversation, and stand by her morals and knowledge saved a patient.
Becca is an incredibly passionate nurse and is the most amazing patient advocate I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She treats each of our patients with respect, is an incredible team player and shows excellence daily. She goes above and beyond for each of her patients and treats each patient as the individual that they are.

Integrity is the value Becca embodies the most. Recently, Becca was caring for a patient undergoing an oral allergy trial. The patient began having feelings of impending doom. They became restless in bed. The patient had previously been conversational and calm. The patient was frequently assessed by the provider, who remained close by. Becca could sense the desperation the patient was feeling and did not leave their side, always offering compassion and reassurance. Informing the patient how much time and medication remained to complete the challenge. Unfortunately, this patient decompensated quickly and did not have a textbook presentation of an anaphylaxis. Initially, the patient remained conscious but hypoxic and required a non-rebreather. Despite the urgency of the situation, Becca remained calm in front of the patient and called an Adult Rapid Response. Becca called the Charge Nurse for additional support. The patient lost consciousness before the Rapid Response could be initiated. Becca recognized the gravity of the situation and, despite immense pressure and pushback from the provider, called a Code Blue. Within minutes, the patient was intubated and in transit to a higher level of care. Becca's swift recognition of her decompensating patient allowed them to receive the care they desperately needed in a minimal amount of time. Upon a debrief of the situation, it was learned that the provider was newer to the facility and did not know that a Code Blue was to be used in this emergency situation instead of an Airway, as Airways are not called in an intermediate care setting. Becca's ability to recognize emergency over urgency, hold a crucial conversation, and stand by her morals and knowledge saved a patient.

I am proud to work alongside Rebecca Nichols and aspire to be as assertive yet compassionate as her. She is a true team player and encompasses each of the R.I.T.E. values that every nurse here at the Hershey Medical Center should aim to uphold.