I took my 95-year-old mother to the emergency room with severe muscle spasms in her legs. Because of a history of restless legs, they treated her for that. After 7 hours, we were finally admitted to the hospital. For the next 48 hours, she went from excruciating pain to being incapacitated by painkillers. The doctors were treating for restless legs and fluid retention brought on by her heart going into afib.

On the third day, Shana, having just come on duty, began reading reports and, seeing the condition Mom was in, had me recount the previous activities. She consulted with the attending physicians, and after hours of emotional ups and downs, the doctors would not change their diagnosis. She went to the patient advocate and had him contact me, where I described the situation. The doctors were made aware of the seriousness and finally listened to what I had to say. An MRI was done, and fractures were discovered. The diagnosis changed, meds were adjusted and changed, and mom began to improve. Without the tenacity and devotion to Mom's healthcare by Shana, a bad situation could have been fatal. She was willing to stand up to her superiors and face backlash to protect and defend the health of her patient.