April 2018
Tinia
Okoro
,
RN
Emergency Department
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

I had one of the scariest experiences of my life in April. My 12-year-old son who had recently recovered from C.diff colitis started experiencing fevers, abdominal pain, and diarrhea again. He didn't look well so I brought him directly to CHOP ED because my gut feeling told me that this was a recurrence and it was worse than before. After we were triaged, Tinia came out to greet us in the waiting room. She had a big smile on her face and introduced herself as our nurse. I remember thinking that she seemed really sweet. She got us settled in our room and then things took a slight turn for the worse with my son. He was spiking high temps to 103, had intense shaking chills, his heart rate went up and his blood pressure was low. As an oncology nurse of 15 years, I immediately thought of sepsis and started panicking. Tinia was not only comforting but knowledgeable. She immediately contacted the doctors and helped to develop a quick plan for my son. She comforted him as she drew labs, hung IV boluses, gave him Tylenol and also comforted me as I was having an emotional meltdown. The nurse in me was ready to act if I felt like things weren't moving quickly enough but I never had to do that because she advocated so strongly for my son. She asked the doctors about blood cultures and stool samples and intervened in every way that I would have if I were standing at that bedside. She allowed me to be his Mom and not worry about being his nurse also. Tinia was in and out of our room a lot and kept me updated about everything when I know she was probably busy with other patients. She never once seemed rushed or annoyed but rather had my son's best interest at heart. As a matter of fact, she was the one that recommended a particular medicine to the team because it was gentler on the stomach and the team agreed it was an excellent choice. It helped my son feel better and rest comfortably without any unwanted side effects. We spent close to eight hours in the ED that day and Tinia was our nurse the entire time until transfer to the floor. Although it was one of the worst days of my life, she made it a little easier with her impressive skill, knowledge, and compassion. She is truly an angel and we will never forget her.