A trauma nurse who worked in Broward Health’s Emergency Department for over 17 years, Terri West’s newest role at the Broward Health Coral Springs cardiac catheterization lab revealed the added value of her essential, emergency-honed ability to address immediate and medically technical needs of sudden situations that can arise while caring for complex cardiac patients.
West recently was lauded by one family for her compassion in gaining them more time together as a family after their mother coded during an emergency procedure. West came to work an hour early each day to educate the mother about her condition so she would feel more open to deciding to allow a cardiac catheter (AICD) implant — timely advice that ultimately saved the patient’s life.
The family called West’s gift of her time and empathy “priceless.” Once the patient recovered, she even joined the hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council in tribute to West’s care.
