Nurses of Note 2024: The Infusion Nurse and ‘Ambassador of Enjoyment’

One of Audrey’s nurse colleagues was caring for a patient who had low urine output for an extended period of time. After trying a bladder scan, the nurse requested that the patient’s doctor come for a consult. She sent a few follow-up pages throughout the day, and she also later requested a fluid bolus since the low urine output was becoming more worrisome, though not emergent.

As time passed, the doctor didn’t respond to the pages or put in any orders that would allow the nurse to move forward with care. The hospital had an internal rapid response system in place to prevent issues like this from getting out of hand, and this scenario met all of the criteria. After paging the doctor all day with no response, the nurse followed protocol and activated the rapid response system to ensure the doctor would come to the patient’s room to address her concerns.

The doctor responded with what Audrey described as a “huge scene.” He raised his voice at the nurse’s station, said he had a very busy day, and noted that did not think this situation warranted use of the rapid response system. The nurse calmly explained what was going on and mentioned that she had paged the doctor multiple times throughout the day, but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.

Though he was understandably frustrated by the request, Audrey explained that his response and attitude were inappropriate. After some time, the doctor apologized to the nurse for his outburst, but he did so privately. Audrey believes his apology should have been public to account for the fact that he criticized the nurse in front of all of her colleagues for making the correct decision.

Unfortunately, stories like this are not uncommon. Facilitating efficient communication is still a challenge for many healthcare facilities, and that can negatively impact both patient outcomes and working relationships among care team members, which should be built on trust and respect. Modern technology can be used to mitigate these communication challenges. 

“Having a better communication system could have possibly avoided the situation altogether,” Audrey said. “With pagers being a one-way communication system, the nurse has no way of knowing that the doctor had a busy day or if he even got the pages about their patient at all. Also, with the doctor being so busy, the pages could have easily gotten missed in the dozens of other pages I’m sure he got that day. Had they been able to have a quick conversation the first time the issue was noticed, all of this could have been avoided.”

For Audrey, issues like these are why she runs her TikTok account—to connect with nurses who have shared experiences, no matter their specific role. The aforementioned story got a strong response, with many nurses saying they’ve experienced similar situations. For those who hadn’t, they at least empathized with Audrey’s colleague and how she felt belittled due to the doctor’s response.

“There are a lot of trolls and people who believe nurses should not share their experiences online, but the amount of support greatly outweighs the haters. The nursing community on TikTok is so supportive, and the best part is knowing that I’m not alone in the struggles and frustrations that come with being a nurse,” Audrey said. “I learned to always advocate for my patient and not to let anyone bully me for trying. I wanted to share the story to show that even senior nurses can be treated with disrespect, how to handle a situation like that with grace, and to always advocate for your patients, no matter how small the issue may seem.”

For this Ambassador of Enjoyment, she wants nurses to know that it’s always important to make room for enjoyment during stressful days like the one in her example—and in general. She hopes her video contributes to the conversation across the nursing community about how nurses are treated and how effective care team communication is critical to so many parts of patient care. Her advice? Remember that you’re a human first.

Audrey continues to inspire us and fellow nurses through her desire to start conversations and to always advocate for patients. She’s also a true believer in encouraging nurses to take good care of themselves so they can be fully prepared and present to take care of their patients.

Audrey reminds us that we “can’t pour from an empty cup,” and that self-care and self-advocacy are critical components of a successful nursing career. That’s a true Nurse of Note!

Thank You

Audrey, thank you for not only being an advocate for your patients, but also for your fellow nurses. Your willingness to speak up for fellow care team members is a strong reminder that conversations can open the door to better patient care and provider experiences. By highlighting areas where technology can be used to ease patient care delivery, you also inspire conversation around change that will improve so many health system processes.

Thank you for what you do for your patients and your fellow nurses, and thanks for using TikTok to start important conversations. Congratulations on being a Nurse of Note!

Q&A 

To learn more about Audrey’s life as a nurse, we asked her a few additional questions:

If you could say one thing to decision-makers in the hospital setting about how to ease the heaviest parts of a nurse’s role, what would you say? What would you ask for?

I would tell them that we need more help! Nurses have been facing staffing shortages and unsafe rations that directly affect our ability to provide great patient care. We notice the lack of allied health workers and ancillary staff. When we don’t have enough CNAs, unit coordinators, and transporters, and those tasks end up falling on us. How do they expect us to provide great and safe patient care?

Why did you choose to become a nurse? 

I knew I wanted to be a nurse from a young age. Many of my aunts are CNAs and nurses. I grew up watching them and was inspired by how caring and compassionate they were.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic?

I was still in nursing school at the height of the pandemic, although I did work as a CNA in a hospital as well. The biggest lesson I learned was just how much nurses and CNAs rely on each other—and not just when it comes to patient care. It was a busy and hectic time. We were all overworked and facing uncertainty daily, and we all leaned on each other for emotional support and hope.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about working in the healthcare industry?

I would tell myself to prioritize my mental and physical health as well as my free time outside of work. With the state of healthcare today, its so easy to get burnt out if you don’t find ways to decompress and relax post-shift and on your days off. 

What do you do to relax after a stressful day? 

I like to unwind by taking a hot shower, eating a good meal, and watching a movie on Netflix! 

What changes would you like to see in the nursing field of the future?

I would love to see much safer nursing ratios.

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish profiles about more of our amazing Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year!