When Sheila Handy awoke on Aug. 6, she never expected that she would spend the day at the hospital. Her husband, Glenn, woke her complaining of stomach pain.
“I panicked when he said he was hurting. It was 6 a.m., and I didn’t know what to do,” Mrs. Handy said. She was especially concerned because Glenn had previously suffered a stroke. She immediately called Kelsey-Seybold Clinic’s 24-hour Contact Center to book an afternoon appointment for Glenn, and said she was pleased when she found herself speaking to Theresa Crain, R.N. Sheila added, “(Theresa) helped me understand what was happening to Glenn and what I needed to do. I felt much calmer after talking to her.”
Kelsey-Seybold’s after hours nurse, Theresa Crain, R.N., spoke to Sheila and her husband. “I spoke to Glenn and asked him specific questions about his pain levels and what he was feeling,” she said. “Based on the symptoms and pain level Glenn described, it became apparent to me that he needed immediate emergency care.” Theresa urged Sheila and her husband to go directly to the emergency room at St. Luke’s.
At St. Luke’s, doctors confirmed a diagnosis of acute appendicitis and took Glenn immediately into surgery, where the routine surgical procedure went smoothly. Thanks to Theresa’s words of wisdom, Glenn received the immediate care he needed. By the following week, he was home and feeling better.
When Kelsey-Seybold patients call 713-442-0000 before 8 a.m. or after 4 p.m. on the weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends and on holidays, they can speak with an after-hours registered nurse. These registered nurses average over 20 years of experience in a variety of areas, including emergency room and intensive care, and they can answer questions about immediate health concerns.
“Our ‘RN After Hours’ service gives our patients the reassurance of knowing there is a trained healthcare professional, ready to assist them at midnight or on a holiday,” says Lynn Smith-Cronin, R.N., B.S.N., Nursing Supervisor for Kelsey-Seybold’s “R.N. After-Hours” service. “We help define if the health issues they’re experiencing need immediate care, or if we can provide advice and treatment options that they can implement at home on their own time.”
“Theresa doesn’t think she was doing anything special; she was just doing her job,” notes her supervisor, Lynn Smith-Cronin. “However, for the hundreds of patients like the Handys who use our ‘RN After Hours’ service, Theresa was there when they needed someone to guide them in the right direction.”
“All of our after hours nurses are excellent listeners striving to ensure patients and family members receive effective advice that they can implement immediately. Our nurses also provide comfort by being there and by listening to patients’ concerns,” Lynn said. Kelsey-Seybold’s “RN After Hours” service is just one the many round-the-clock conveniences and value-added services that make it easy for our patients to protect their health and the health of their loved ones.
