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12.3.2019

Deadly Car Crash Leaves Sole Survivor; Nurse Took Him Under Her Wing

One moment, everything is fine. The next, your entire family is gone. That was the experience for a pediatric patient who survived a car crash in which all the other passengers – his family – lost their lives. When the patient arrived at the Emergency Department (ED), Haley Bolton, RN, cared for him in more ways than one. Read the below nomination from a fellow team member that earned Haley her recent DAISY Award.

“In August, a patient arrived under extraordinary circumstances while Haley Bolton was assigned to the Pediatric ED. The child was the sole survivor of a motor vehicle collision that killed both parents and sibling. The family lived in another state and were traveling through the area when the accident occurred. The child was left without any family locally or nationally. The only family was on another continent altogether.

“Haley went above and beyond for this patient. This is the note received from the Charlottesville Department of Social Services:

“‘I wanted to recognize a nurse that was with ** in the ED that Thursday. Her name was Haley. I never got her last name. She was unbelievably supportive. At the end of her shift, ** was being admitted. She wanted to make sure ** had some things that night.  She made a list and went to Walmart and came back with items, like books and clothing. It was amazing that after a long and busy shift (what I could tell based on the amount of people in the waiting area and the hallways), she chose to take time and help him feel more comfortable. This was above and beyond. I really appreciate it, and I know this young man did as well. Thank you for what you do.’

“Haley recognized the maturity of the child exceeded the typical growth and development for the patient’s age. She recognized coping skills, and she connected with the specific grieving processes acknowledging his need to honor his family through grief. She took the time to follow-up in the next few days to make sure the child had the necessary support to grieve through dates and times the patient expected to participate in family celebrations.

“She listened to the patient’s heart while attending to his physical needs. She respected his growth and development and didn’t diminish him by dumbing down the situation. She also acted when she saw that for the age and stage of a ‘tween,’ his needs were unique, and she met those needs when she went Walmart for the personal items.

“Haley demonstrates this remarkable connection with the human side of caring for patients in crisis situations every day she provides care. We are honored to have her on the ED team. She demonstrates the true north of alleviating patient suffering.”

Nomination edited for privacy and clarity.

Click to enlarge.

Know a fabulous nurse?
The Professional Nursing Staff Organization honors up to two UVA RNs each month with a DAISY Award. Nominations may be submitted by patients, patient families, visitors, and fellow UVA team members. Learn more at uvadaisy.com.

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