Television shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” might make it seem like medical professionals regularly save someone’s life, even on their personal time.
That’s usually not the case. It is relatively rare for them, at least anecdotally, to be around when an emergency happens.
In fact, two North Colorado Medical Center nurses helped care for people outside of the hospital this year, but those incidents were the first time either were involved in providing medical care outside a clinical setting.
“I really didn’t have to get up and do that,” said Katie Stencel, North Colorado Medical Center intensive care unit nurse. “Morally and ethically, I didn’t have to do that, but I couldn’t live with myself.”
In-flight care
Stencel helped care for a woman on a flight from Cancun, Mexico, on the way home from a family vacation.
The flight was roughly two and a half to three hours into the trip and more than an hour away from Denver International Airport when the flight crew asked over the speaker system if there were any medical professionals on board. They needed help with an unresponsive passenger. She and a firefighter — who Stencel said needs to receive more credit — volunteered to help.
As weird as it might sound to civilians, Stencel wanted the person to be having a seizure or low blood sugar — something she could actually do something about.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. The woman was slumped over. She was not breathing nor did she have a pulse. Stencel noticed a scar from a sternotomy — an incision often associated with cardiac procedures — and figured the woman must’ve experienced a heart attack.
The woman’s husband was in shock, understandably, and could not provide medical history or really explain what happened.
“This is the worst-case scenario because the plane has an AED (automatic external defibrillator), but they don’t have medications that would be appropriate to give for cardiac arrest,” Stencel said, noting there were other challenges with supplies and processes working. “Then we’re up in the air and we are an hour away from our destination.”
Despite the shock of the situation, Stencel said professional mode kicked in and she treated the passenger like any other patient. She credited the firefighter and crew members on the United flight who made the situation go as smoothly as possible.
They followed traditional emergency protocols and stayed calm. Stencel said it came down to doing what they knew how to do.
“I just kept telling myself, ‘I’m here for a reason. I’m right where I’m supposed to be right now. Just do what you know how to do,’” Stencel said.
The flight was diverted to Oklahoma City, and that’s the last time Stencel saw the woman and her husband.
Even though she didn’t know the couple, Stencel has wondered about them since the incident and hopes everything turned out all right. This was so much different than what she deals with in the ICU.
Stencel has worked through COVID-19 and with patients through individually traumatizing situations, but she’s typically able to develop relationships with the patients and their loved ones. That didn’t happen in this situation, and it’s been tough for her.
“I feel so bad for that family that had to happen to them, but it’s been hard for me to process,” Stencel said. “Because I’m in the ICU and I can get to know my patients, and it’s hard not knowing that family and what happened. I made up a story in my head like, ‘They had a great vacation … and this is just how it ended.’ That’s kind of what I’m going with.”
Coming in for a save
Another Banner nurse was on the scene when a referee collapsed at a local high school basketball game.
Nicole Wright-Meyer, cardiac catheterization lab nurse at NCMC, said her family had not planned to attend the game due to other events in their schedule but ended up there.
Wright-Meyer said the man collapsed shortly after one team inbounded the ball. She didn’t see it happen, so her initial thought was that he got knocked down by a player in the heat of the play. Then he didn’t get up.
She knew something was wrong. Wright-Meyer and a few others left the bleachers to assist him. He was not breathing effectively nor was he alert.
In her role in the cath lab, Wright-Meyer is familiar with cardiac scenarios. She works alongside physicians to ensure patients receive proper medication, monitoring and education from the beginning through any procedures and recovery. Because of her experience, Wright-Meyer recognized the situation as a potential cardiac incident and helped coordinate the efforts.
“I asked for an AED, and then we kind of pulled his shirt up and started CPR. There were a whole bunch of other nurses there with us, too,” Wright-Meyer said, noting the importance of seeing his heart rhythm on the AED. “We ended up shocking twice and were just continuing doing compressions until the paramedics got there.
“Even when the paramedics got there, we were still doing CPR, and then we needed to shock him out of a lethal rhythm.”
Like Stencel, this was the first time Wright-Meyer dealt with a medical emergency outside of the hospital. It took her a moment to get in the nursing mindset, because being in the field is different. There isn’t the “wall” medical professionals often put up when going to work.
And though she didn’t know the man, many of those at the game did — making it personal and emotional.
“You’re like, ‘This isn’t happening. I can’t believe this is happening here,’” Wright-Meyer said. “Then, once you go down there, you just kick into your normal mode like you’d be at the hospital, like you’d be taking care of a critical patient. Your mind just sort of takes over, and all your focus is on the patient.”
The last couple years have been tough for many medical professionals due to COVID-19. Many are burnt out. Some have left the profession.
Wright-Meyer alluded to the challenges brought on by the pandemic, but this situation helped her. She worked with a group to keep the man stable until he could be transported to a hospital facility.
“It made me feel really good, because sometimes, especially in nursing right now, it’s hard. It sort of renews what you do,” Wright-Meyer said. “Even though it was a difficult situation, it kind of reinvigorated me — that I was there at that specific time when I hadn’t even planned on being there.”
The importance of CPR
Many American adults are willing to help in a medical emergency but hesitate due to a lack of medical training, a 2019 poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians found. They fear worsening the situation.
Stencel and Wright-Meyer both said bystanders can provide significant support in the situation. Just about anyone can call emergency services, contact family members, be supply “runners” or keep others calm. If it’s a particularly stressful situation, reminding fellow bystanders to allow doctors and trained civilians to work can help.
Each of these things is important when working toward a positive outcome.
Both women praised those around them during the situations, saying they can’t take all the credit.
Stencel praised the firefighter who assisted. She said his knowledge and experience helping others in the field — as opposed to just the hospital — was important. Stencel also recognized the flight crew. They are unable to really talk about the situation, but they played a huge role in doing the other tasks, she said.
Wright-Meyer complimented her fellow nurses, who switched off doing compressions while she helped stabilize the man’s head and direct as they used the AED. Neither was a one-woman save.
“There was a group of us there,” she said. “It was a collaborative effort, and it took all of us to take care of him.”
They said it’s possible for anyone to help another person in need. One of the easiest things to do is get CPR certification and learn some of the basics of first aid. Regardless of the situation, someone’s ability to perform CPR keeps blood flowing to the brain and gives responders time to arrive and give a more thorough medical evaluation.
Research from the American Heart Association indicates 37% of cardiac arrest events are witnessed by a bystander, meaning there is a relatively high chance for a person to witness a cardiac emergency.
Data also indicates the probability of survival when experiencing an emergency cardiac event is higher when a bystander performs CPR. Additionally, research shows improved neurological function in survivors who received bystander CPR compared to those who did not receive it. Studies say more work needs to be done, but the findings are promising.
CPR and first aid certification classes are offered through a number of organizations in northern Colorado, including the American Red Cross, NoCo CPR, Stat CPR and True Safety. Greeley Recreation often hosts classes, as well.
Then, if a medical situation arises — in public or at home — there’s a chance to provide practical help.
“I think the most important thing is to stay calm, take a breath and just do one thing at a time,” Stencel said. “You’re not responsible for the situation, in its outcome. You just need to be there, be a good human and try to help somebody out.”