The following domains of nursing will be addressed:

* The Helping Role

o Providing comfort and communication through touch.

o Providing emotional and information support to patient’s families.

* The Diagnostic and Monitoring Function

o Anticipating problems: Be proactive.

* Effective Management of Rapidly Changing Situations

o Contingency management: Rapid matching of demands and resources in emergency situations.

* Monitoring and Ensuring the Quality of Health Care Practices

o Getting appropriate and timely responses from physician.

While approaching the nurse’s station, I was asked by nurse L to assist with contacting the surgeon for her patient. Sensing the urgency, I immediately assisted with Nurse L’s request to contact the surgeon. While awaiting a return call from the surgeon, nurse L took the chance to explain the haste of her request. She described how her patient, Mrs. M, was postoperative thyroidectomy and is now complaining of throat swelling and has noticeable edema at her surgical site incision on her neck. While another nurse was sent to the patient’s room to monitor Mrs. M, the surgeon returned the page and informed us that he would be up shortly.

Almost immediately, Nurse L updated me on the patient’s status and informed me that Mrs. M’s oxygen saturation level was decreasing and was complaining of difficulty breathing. I quickly noticed an anesthesia resident at the nurse’s station

and told him to quickly come to Mrs. M’s room to evaluate her for edema to her neck. He immediately ran to the room as I grabbed the code cart in anticipation of our findings. On arrival to the room, the surgeon was on the unit and immediately started requesting a suture removal kit.

I placed my hand on top of Mrs. M’s hand and told her we were here to help as I saw the look of fear in her eyes. The surgeon requested additional supplies and asked for the OR to be informed that he needed an emergency OR room and was on the way with his patient. In addition to overseeing the supply requests were being fulfilled, I called the OR to inform them of the situation. I was proactive by sending a staff member to request the elevator so it would minimize delays of the patient’s return to surgery. Mrs. M was able to maintain her airway and return to surgery with minimal delays.

A staff member telephoned Mrs. M’s family (who was not present during the event) and asked for them to return to the unit. Upon Mrs. M’s family returning to the unit, they were provided with a general overview of the situation until further information was given by the surgeon. Mrs. M’s family was provided with emotional support and guided to the waiting area until further directions regarding the patient’s location was received.

In conclusion, I feel the emotional and clinical aspects of Mrs. M situation was handled in the best manner possible for her situation. If it was a less experienced nurse overseeing the situation, multitasking and urgency of the situation may not have been as quickly recognized.