Monroe, Ga. (Oct. 14, 2019) – Piedmont Walton Hospital celebrated Emergency Nurses Week, a yearly observance recognized by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) to recognize the work of emergency nurses across the United States. To commemorate this observance, emergency department employees received a surprise from a previous patient whose life was saved by their team.
“To help celebrate and show our thanks to the amazing group of nurses that work in our emergency department at Piedmont Walton, we hosted a number of events throughout the week, including sponsored lunch and learn training events, a staff recognition breakfast, and a special recognition for our nationally certified emergency nursing staff,” said Todd Braswell, director of emergency services at Piedmont Walton.
Last year, Piedmont Walton recognized Emergency Nurses Week by welcoming a past patient who suffered a cardiac arrest. He told staff how his life was saved by nurses and other clinical staff members in the emergency department.
To keep this tradition, Braswell and the team welcomed the family of 12-year-old Eric Fowler to share their story.
Fowler was recently brought to Piedmont Walton’s emergency room (ER) after his mother, Tonya Fowler, found him in severe asthmatic distress in the middle of the night.
Once he arrived to the ER, the clinical team were unable to stabilize Fowler’s condition with the traditional medicine and breathing treatments. They then made the decision to intubate him to maintain an open airway and stabilize him. He was quickly transported to a children’s hospital in Atlanta, where he’s since made a full recovery.
During the family’s surprise visit this week, emergency department staff were touched by Fowler’s story. According to Braswell, it was great to see how the team’s efforts helped Fowler, and his story is only one of many examples where the team goes above and beyond to provide high-quality, patient-centered care to their patients during emergent situations.
“This week is set apart to focus on how powerful, brave and compassionate our emergency nurses are,” Braswell said. “They have the capability to provide safe practice and care in difficult situations while remaining confident, strong and empowering their colleagues. I’m grateful that we’re able to set this week apart to celebrate them.”