“Tamia and Naomie helped saved a life today,” reported Erica Tercha, a family nurse practitioner and lecturer at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies. Tamia is Tamia Baker, a nursing student from Florida who was a medical assistant before enrolling in the three-semester, 12-month Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (A.B.S.N.) program. Naomie is Naomie Gutekunst, an Atlantan who graduated from Emory University and worked as an 8th grade science teacher and yoga instructor before starting the A.B.S.N. program in January.
It was a Thursday morning in early November when the two were at their assigned clinical site, Miami’s Camillus House, taking vital signs for residents of the humanitarian services and housing organization. They had just started assessing their second patient when they discovered an abnormally low blood pressure and high heart rate combination. The students alerted the registered nurse (RN) on-site and kept the patient talking, getting a medical history and medication list. “We were in the process of rechecking his BP when he lost consciousness,” said Baker and Gutekunst. “We lowered him to the ground, attempted to rouse him, checked his pulse which was not there. The nurse began CPR and tasked us to get the AED (automated external defibrillator).”
While Baker was on the phone with emergency medical services (EMS) to ensure a team was on the way, the RN was able to resuscitate the resident, and Gutekunst was by his side, “telling him to keep his eyes open and stay with us as his eyes kept rolling shut,” she recalled. When EMS arrived, the two also helped give report and the patient was successfully transported to the hospital. “It still seems a little surreal,” admitted Gutekunst in an interview a couple of weeks later. “We’re just really grateful he came back [to consciousness],” added Baker. “After he had been taken, we went right back to taking vitals of the other clients and completing the tasks for the day. We were still coming down from all of that adrenaline.”
Régine P. Reaves, Ph.D., M.S.N., M.P.H., RN, assistant professor of clinical and director of the school’s undergraduate nursing programs, lauded the students’ quick actions. “Bravo to Tamia and Naomie for a huge job well done!” she said. “Their critical skills, clinical judgement, and swift action are to be commended. This is exactly the type of B.S.N.-prepared nurses we hope for after graduation.” For both Baker and Gutekunst, graduation has arrived. The two will join their more than 100 fellow A.B.S.N. graduates at the University of Miami Commencement December 12. Here’s an excerpt from our Q&A with Tamia Baker and Naomie Gutekunst.
What did you take away from this experience?
Tamia Baker: For one, I think Naomie and I both learned to find the AED wherever we go. I also learned how important it is to work with others who have the same passion and mindset as you. Naomie and I worked so well together—it was almost like a simulation experience. It was like we had time to pre-brief about who was going to do what. Wherever we saw the need, whether it was to keep the patient awake or be on the phone with the dispatcher, we just did it. We didn’t stall or second-guess ourselves. It was just smooth, even with the adrenaline. It really makes you realize how important common goals and effective and clear communication are. We trusted one another enough that our focus could go 100 percent to our task.
Naomie Gutekunst: I feel the same as Tamia. I am so glad that we were both in that space at that exact time. There was no time to be like “what’s happening?” We both just looked one another in the eyes and kinda knew—this is happening, this is REAL, and we know what to do. While neither of us had had an experience like this before, we were able to quickly step into the role we needed to play. I’m very grateful to have had this experience together and the space to reflect on how it’s impacted us.
How does being a lifesaver feel?
Tamia: I wouldn’t consider myself a lifesaver. We were just at the right place at the right time and fortunate enough to be equipped with the knowledge and the skills to help. Having experienced something like that keeps you humble enough to want to learn more, sharpen your skills, and further your education, but it also gives you some confidence in your competence. After the dust settles in that type of situation, you realize you do have that nursing instinct. It just has to continuously be developed.
Naomie: I don’t feel like a lifesaver either. Reflecting back, we’ve definitely developed this “sixth sense.” We knew something was going to go wrong before it went wrong. This is something that happens during simulation, and most of the time once we realize what we need to do, it’s too late. This was real life, and we acted quick.
Changing topics, what first attracted you to this A.B.S.N. program?
Tamia: What attracted me was definitely the simulation hospital [S.H.A.R.E. Simulation Hospital Advancing Research & Education®]. It was nice seeing the lengths they would go to prepare students for careers in health care.
Naomie: I was attracted to how quickly we were able to begin clinicals and dive into the experience of being a nurse.
Now that you’re graduating, what’s your perspective on the program?
Tamia: The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies has really made it a priority to ensure that we know not only how to clinically treat our patients, but also how to communicate with them in trusting and empathetic ways. I think about nursing interventions for a disease or a disorder, but I also take into account the emotional toll illness can have and how I’m able to be an emotional support to patients. The school has provided me with those therapeutic communication skills and the importance of patient-centered care, which includes holistic care. The program has been difficult at times, but that’s made graduating even more rewarding.
Naomie: I have enjoyed the program, although it’s been intense. I look back on the first day and can truly say I’ve learned so much and feel very confident about my skills and knowledge moving into the nursing field. The school does a fantastic job preparing us in so little time.
