Sherri
Fein
August 2012
Sherri
Fein
,
BSN, RN
The Second Chance Unit
NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center
White Plains
,
NY
United States
Sherri Fein, BSN, RN
New York-Presbyterian Westchester Division
August 2012
Sherri Fein, BSN, RN works on The Second Chance Unit, 3 North, at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division. 3 North is a behavioral health unit for chronic and severely mentally ill persons who are receiving a “second chance” at cutting edge psychiatric treatment utilizing a therapeutic milieu, token economy, and the most up-to-date medication management.
Earlier this year, Sherri noted an acute change in a patient’s condition. The patient was agitated, had tachycardia, and exhibited a different mental state. A temperature could not be obtained orally. Sherri advocated for the patient and requested the patient to be seen by the Nurse Practitioner (NP) immediately. Sherri’s expert intuition based on knowledge and experience informed her something was seriously wrong and he needed immediate intervention. The NP was able to obtain an axillary temperature and since it was elevated, the patient was transferred “stat” to a medical facility’s Emergency Department. As the temperature rose, the patient was admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), a rare but potentially fatal complication of treatment with neuroleptic drugs. The patient was stabilized over the course of several days.
After the patient was admitted to the ICU, the patient’s mother called the in-patient unit to thank Sherri for “saving my son’s life.” The parents also wrote a letter of support for Sherri to receive the DAISY award. The family believes that Sherri is the reason why their son is alive today and stated in a letter, “[Sherri] is so skillful, knowledgeable, and caring towards our son. She realized he was acting differently….if it weren’t for her quick reaction to our son’s symptoms, he might not have recovered as well.” It became clear that if Sherri had not been persistent in advocating for this patient, the outcome could have been tragically different.
This amazing example is one of the countless situations in which Sherri demonstrates exceptional, clinically astute care that positively and significantly influences the course of a patient’s treatment. She is always a true patient advocate and teacher, and is an exceptional role model for all staff. She eagerly teaches nursing students on her unit about neuroleptic medications and the treatment philosophy of The Second Chance Unit.
We are very proud of Sherri, who not only cares for patients and staff on 3 North, but fulfills the role of Nurse Administrator on a per diem basis, sharing her knowledge, expertise, and patient advocacy across all twelve units of our hospital. Congratulations to Sherri Fein for being a DAISY Award Honoree!
New York-Presbyterian Westchester Division
August 2012
Sherri Fein, BSN, RN works on The Second Chance Unit, 3 North, at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division. 3 North is a behavioral health unit for chronic and severely mentally ill persons who are receiving a “second chance” at cutting edge psychiatric treatment utilizing a therapeutic milieu, token economy, and the most up-to-date medication management.
Earlier this year, Sherri noted an acute change in a patient’s condition. The patient was agitated, had tachycardia, and exhibited a different mental state. A temperature could not be obtained orally. Sherri advocated for the patient and requested the patient to be seen by the Nurse Practitioner (NP) immediately. Sherri’s expert intuition based on knowledge and experience informed her something was seriously wrong and he needed immediate intervention. The NP was able to obtain an axillary temperature and since it was elevated, the patient was transferred “stat” to a medical facility’s Emergency Department. As the temperature rose, the patient was admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), a rare but potentially fatal complication of treatment with neuroleptic drugs. The patient was stabilized over the course of several days.
After the patient was admitted to the ICU, the patient’s mother called the in-patient unit to thank Sherri for “saving my son’s life.” The parents also wrote a letter of support for Sherri to receive the DAISY award. The family believes that Sherri is the reason why their son is alive today and stated in a letter, “[Sherri] is so skillful, knowledgeable, and caring towards our son. She realized he was acting differently….if it weren’t for her quick reaction to our son’s symptoms, he might not have recovered as well.” It became clear that if Sherri had not been persistent in advocating for this patient, the outcome could have been tragically different.
This amazing example is one of the countless situations in which Sherri demonstrates exceptional, clinically astute care that positively and significantly influences the course of a patient’s treatment. She is always a true patient advocate and teacher, and is an exceptional role model for all staff. She eagerly teaches nursing students on her unit about neuroleptic medications and the treatment philosophy of The Second Chance Unit.
We are very proud of Sherri, who not only cares for patients and staff on 3 North, but fulfills the role of Nurse Administrator on a per diem basis, sharing her knowledge, expertise, and patient advocacy across all twelve units of our hospital. Congratulations to Sherri Fein for being a DAISY Award Honoree!