We were in our cardiology clinic when someone from cardiac rehab came over and asked if a nurse could come look at a patient’s EKG that was already hooked up to the machine. When we got over there, the patient’s heart rate was 160, and he was actively having a heart attack, and EMS was already called.

In the meantime, the patient called his wife and let her know EMS was taking him over to the main campus hospital. Dakota spoke to the wife and kept the patient very calm while all this was happening. The patient was talking to us, and then he actually went out, and he had an implanted defibrillator that shocked him. He then came back and was talking to us again. Dakota kept him very calm through all of this.

EMS arrived, and we were getting the patient up off the bed when the patient had another heart attack, and the defibrillator shock went off three more times. Dakota kept very calm throughout the whole time this was happening. She is a new nurse to our department, and it was her first day by herself and out of orientation. I feel like she needs to be awarded and praised for how she handled this horrible situation. She kept calm, kept the patient calm, and when they took the patient away in the EMS, he was alert and talking to us. Dakota deserves to be recognized for her bravery and composure throughout this critical situation.