I was the receiving nurse of a patient who was resuscitated at Princeton HealthCare System in early October. A high school football player was visiting with his team from Canada for a football game at a local school. After the game was over, he collapsed and arrested requiring on scene CPR with a shockable rhythm. He was brought into your hospital to be resuscitated while waiting transfer to CHOP. On top of this, it was a stormy night and our team was unable to fly up to get him. Somewhere in Canada, a scared mother was traveling alone, unsure of what condition her son was in. In the middle of, what I am sure was, a busy resuscitation, Susanna took the time to reach out to the Philadelphia Police Department and request they meet mom at the airport and escort her to CHOP to be by her son's side. Susanna told me the story during report, and knowing how busy she probably was at the time, but also as a mother myself, I was so touched and appreciative of her compassionate action on top of all the hard work she had done to keep the patient alive and stable.
Mom arrived at the bedside after we had gotten him settled with tears in her eyes asking me, but more trying to convince herself, if he was going to be ok and begging me to take good care of her only child. Later on in the night as I was talking with mom, she told me how so many people had helped get her things together and organize her trip for her. She mentioned that there was a police officer waiting for her at the gate when she deplaned and how unbelievable it was that he was just there for her when she had been trying to figure out how on earth she was going to get to her son. She told me how she was paged as the plane pulled up to the gate and what an amazing relief it was to rush out of the airport and get to her son as quickly as possible.
Her son remained in the PICU for about 10 days where he was later transferred to our CICU after his ARDS and neurological status proved resolved and stable. He has since been transferred to a hospital back home where he will be seen by cardiac specialists and have a plan of care developed after his hospitalization.
Before leaving the PICU earlier this week, I stopped by the room to chat with mom and get an update on how things were going. As we were talking, I shared with her the story about exactly how the police officer showed up at the airport for her. I told her about the DAISY Award program and how I was thinking about tracking down the nurse so I could nominate her. Her face lit up and she told me, "You HAVE to track her down. That was the most amazing thing that night." So with some down time tonight, I was able to reach another nurse who gave me her name, Susanna Olson.
This story is a true example of the kind of caregivers nurses are and how on top of all of our clinical skills and judgment, there is another level of caring and compassion that provides unmatched comfort to patients and families. I cannot think of a more deserving example of a DAISY award than this moment in Susanna's career.