NURSES STATION


Nurse attends to stroke victim on aircraft


By DEBORAH A. MILES Flying from Albany to Las Vegas for a


health care conference March 31, Jennifer Farrier didn’t think twice when a flight attendant asked if there was a nurse or doctor on board. Farrier, a PEF Executive Board


member and a nurse 2 at Central New York Developmental Disabilities Services Office, said she followed the attendant to the back of the plane where a 73-year- old man was thought to be having a stroke. “His wife told me he has a history of


strokes,” Farrier said. “I looked at him and he started shaking. I assessed him by having him squeeze my hand, looked at his tongue, and tried to get him to repeat something. All indications pointed to weakness on his right side.” Farrier said the man’s name was Nick


and he was unable to speak to her. Just as Farrier was about to take his blood pressure, she turned and noticed a gentleman standing in the aisle. “I asked him if he was a doctor and


FARRIER


introduced myself as a registered nurse (RN),” Farrier said. “He said he was a doctor. I asked him if he wanted to take over. He asked what was happening. I told him, and he replied, ‘I’m just a neurosurgeon, you better handle it.’ I


understood what he meant, because when you go to emergency triage, you are usually treated by an RN. Farrier attempted to take Nick’s blood


pressure, but said at 35,000 feet in the air, you can’t hear a blood pressure. “I had to palpate for his blood


pressure and found his number to be 180, which is associated with a stroke. I told the doctor and he agreed, so we gave Nick some oxygen. The flight attendant brought headphones to speak with a doctor on the ground, so I could give him my full assessment. He said the plane needed to divert to Indianapolis, so the


patient could be taken to a hospital within an hour,” Farrier said. As soon as the plane landed, Farrier


gave an emergency medical team another assessment as they transported Nick off the plane. “Nick was on the ground within 40


minutes, so that lends itself to a very positive outcome,” Farrier said. “The minute the attendant asked for a


doctor or nurse, I didn’t hesitate. I’ve been a nurse for 35 years, so my reaction was just second nature to go back and help. Nurses are trained to respond to emergency situations, and with a stroke victim you need to respond quickly and thoroughly. I’m just glad I was able to help,” Farrier said. Farrier called Nick’s wife to see how he


was doing a couple of weeks after the incident. She learned Nick died of a massive brain hemorrhage. Nick’s family was grateful they had


him a litle while longer, thanks to Farrier’s help.


Off-duty nurses save man’s life at gym


By DEBORAH A. MILES In the morning of April 1, two PEF


nurses went to work out at a gym in Port Jefferson Station, Suffolk County. Little did they know that after lifting weights, they would become heroes and a “good- news” TV story. Tony Tirella and Lori Fink, both


registered nurses at Stony Brook University Medical Center, revived a 43- year old man who had collapsed at the Fitness Plus Gym after working out with free weights by himself. “Lori, my fiancee, just got off the


treadmill and heard a commotion. She saw a man lying on the floor and ran to help him. I had just finished working up a sweat and was looking for her,” Tirella said. “I saw a lot of people standing together, and at first I thought there was some type of demonstration going on. Then I saw Lori kneeling on the floor administering CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to a man, while someone else was hooking up the AED (automatic external defibrillator). “Once the patient was shocked, the


AED reanalyzed the rhythm. It said ‘shock not advised.’ The man did not have a pulse and was not breathing. I started to do CPR for about 30 more seconds which


Page 10—The Communicator May 2011


and took him to Stony Brook. The patient recovered nicely from the incident.” The nurses, who completed advanced


cardiac and basic life support training, were assisted by a police and a corrections officer, both off-duty. After the patient was taken to Stony Brook, Tirella and Fink completed their morning workouts. They visited the patient later that day when they were at work. “I don’t think of us as heroes,


because this is what we do,” Fink said. “It’s all part of the job.” Long Island’s Channel 12 got wind of


the story and interviewed the couple at Stony Brook. PEF Region 12 Coordinator Connie


Batts said their quick response saved a man’s life and deserves recognition. “When PEF members extend their


LORI FINK ANDTONYTIRELLA


seemed like an eternity. Then, finally, he started to move,” Tirella said. “The EMS (Emergency Medical Services) showed up


skills and areas of expertise into community situations, they should be acknowledged. New Yorkers need to realize state employees are dedicated people who come forth without


hesitation to help others. I’m sure the man whose life they saved and his family would agree,” Batts said.


PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445


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