Daniel in the Lion's Den: A Compilation of Life-Changing Events Experienced at Detroit Receiving Hospital From the Eyes of a Patient Advocate

Daniel in the Lion's Den: A Compilation of Life-Changing Events Experienced at Detroit Receiving Hospital From the Eyes of a Patient Advocate

They joy of writing "Daniel In The Lion's Den" is only surpassed by the daily joy of helping others, as I go beside the patients and their families, at Detroit Receiving Hospital. God is always with me, as I work along side the nurses and doctors, in one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the United States. As I began my position as Patient Advocate, in 2009, I took note daily of heart wrenching stories, strength of faith at the darkest hours, and God's hand in healing. My wife, Paula, suggested that I keep a log of many of the stories that developed. Every night brought something new. I was in complete awe of our entire staff at Detroit Receiving Hospital, not only the doctors and nurses, but the clerks, registration personnel, and security officers as well. Remarkably, I was widely accepted by that staff, and soon felt very much at home, as I worked beside them. The stories I have to tell are actual life and death accounts, seen through the eyes of a Patient Advocate. The Emergency Department at Detroit Receiving Hospital can be horrifying, but it can also be a place of incredible mercy. It is a place of refuge for many who might be homeless, seriously ill or injured. It is, for some, the last place they will ever visit...alive. The pain and the grief here can be overwhelming, but as you read these stories you will find joy and healing. God's work here is unmistakable. I hope you see His hand, as i did, and just as Daniel did in the Biblical "Lion's Den". Daniel in the Lion's Den Life and Death Stories of a Patient Advocate By Daniel William Heard AuthorHouse Copyright © 2011 Daniel William Heard All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4670-4097-6 Contents Foreword................................................1Preface To Patient Advocate Stories.....................3Disclaimer..............................................7Patient Advocate Stories................................9God's Plan..............................................203God's Gift..............................................209 Chapter One A ROUGH BEGINNING I am sure that God wanted me to feel "at home" in my new job. And the best way would be for me to jump in with both feet. The "Lions" almost bit off my feet before I could even get them on the ground. This first issue would be repeated over and over again during my days as Patient Advocate, but the first time was definitely the worst. Patient Brenda, a very angry lady in her 40's, complained loudly about her doctor and her discharge. We have guidelines to follow in such cases, but this was only my fifth day on the job and I was not up to speed on protocol or chain of command. I learned both from this experience. After 20 minutes of discussion, I was able to settle her down a little, but only because I agreed to find a higher authority. I would learn to handle this myself in the future. I went looking for the highest authority, actually my boss, the Emergency Department Director. She was not in (that was a good thing). I should have called the "Clinical Coordinator" who is in charge during my shift (also known as the Head Nurse or Lead Nurse). Instead, I talked to several "office" personnel, who tried to find someone who could deal with this woman. They should never have been involved. Any issues in Emergency should be handled in Emergency. Sometimes it takes a major mistake to learn a lesson well. We do learn more from our mistakes than we do from our successes. Thankfully, word did travel to the Clinical Coordinator, and she talked to the patient. Brenda finally left, and her mood wasn't much better than it was with me. I was reprimanded, but later cleared of any wrongdoing. Whew! My first week of employment, and it almost ended before it began. The first Patient Advocate hired among the four of us and the one who was instrumental in interviewing me and had a vote in my hiring told me after the angry-patient experience with Brenda that, when in doubt, I should be myself. She said that I was hired because of my character, wisdom, and empathy. All I needed to do was trust myself. From that day on, I did. And, from that day on, I have experienced the most fulfilling job of my life! A job that would allow me to go beside patients and their families and friends, and simply make their day a better day and provide them with words of assurance, and direction where needed. I love this work. FIRST DEATH Death. For the first time, as a Patient Advocate, I was face-to-face with death. Not with just the patient who had died, but also more than 20 family members and friends. The patient, Joe, was brought in "down" (no vitals), he could not be revived. I was immediately overwhelmed with sadness for the 51 year-old man who died. I looked at Joe and realized that he would never again speak, see, walk, feel the warmth of a loved one's touch, have a piece of pie, listen to his favorite song, or feel the kiss of a cool breeze. Yet, I also knew that a n