Share
Veteran emergency department Nurse Karen Reid-Williams was at the end of a long shift, squinting through fogged-up goggles and sweating under her N95 mask and paper gown, when another nurse approached and asked her to talk to an uncooperative patient. And maybe do a forensic exam, if it was warranted.
Reid-Williams looked at the woman, who seemed under the influence of drugs, thrashing on a bed. Her first thought was it seemed pointless to even try to get a consent for such an exam in the patient’s current condition. But Nurse Stephanie Moultrie was insistent something was wrong and needed looking into – despite a police officer’s assessment that this was a simple drug overdose case.
At Community Medical Centers’ downtown trauma center and busy emergency room, nurses have learned to take second looks at patients, listen deeply for what’s being said – and not said – and to have a sixth sense about unseen traumas. Reid-Williams, who heads Community’s SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Exam) Program, said she’s learned to trust those instincts in her fellow nurses.
RELATED TOPICS:
Categories
Paul Atkins Sworn in as US SEC Chair
US Supreme Court Appears Likely to Uphold Obamacare’s Preventive Care Coverage Mandate
Woman in Fresno Mansion Fraud Case Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion
California Prisoner Indicted for Exploiting Child Victim While Incarcerated
Kennedy Plans to Phase Out 8 Commonly Used Food Dyes
