One afternoon at Heber Valley Hospital, PSR Heather Stoll answered an incoming call from an elderly gentleman who asked if he needed an appointment to be seen in the Emergency Department. Heather let him know he didn’t need an appointment but sensed there may be more going on than a simple question about getting on the schedule. She could tell he sounded unsettled and a little frightened, so she asked him a few clarifying questions.
Heather Stoll
Heather asked if he was alone, he said he was. She asked if he needed help, he did. She asked if she could call an ambulance for him, he responded, “Yes, please.”
Heather took down his name and address and immediately called 911 to send help. After connecting with EMS, she called him back to let him know the ambulance was on the way. He still sounded distressed and began to vomit. She asked him if she could stay on the phone with him until help arrived, he responded, “Yes, please stay on the phone with me. I’m scared.”
She patiently waited on the line with the gentleman and led him through breathing exercises to help keep him calm. She asked him to check his front door to make sure it was open for the paramedics, then helped him get through those painful minutes until the paramedics arrived.
“I love that Heather could see beyond this patient’s immediate questions and looked at the bigger picture to see a frightened, alone patient in crisis,” says Jill Teuscher, RN, Heber Valley nurse administrator. “She ensured he got the help he needed and showed great caring and concern in staying on the line until help arrived. Great job, Heather!”
“When we talk about having empathy for patients, it means we’re mindful of how they’re feeling and put ourselves in their place — especially when they’re struggling. It also allows us to get curious about where the patient is coming from so, we can ask the right questions to meet the patient’s needs,” says Shelley Egley, Intermountain director of patient advocacy. “Heather was present and perceptive and was willing to take that extra step that made a huge difference for this patient in distress. We can all learn from compassionate caregivers like Heather.”
Want to learn more about Compassionate Connections and the tools that help you deliver empathetic care and connect with patients? Please review the Compassionate Connections website or take the computer-based training in MyLearning.