The Erin’s Campaign for Kids Nursing Awards recognized two nursing students in 2020. One award was given to Gabrielle Lee Seilbach, a student in the Bachelor’s program at Western Governors University and a Quality Analyst RN at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County (MHSC).
While in nursing school, Seilbach’s grandfather was diagnosed with septic shock, sparking her passion for sepsis awareness and prevention. “I was in nursing school and told his nurse that I believed his v/s looked indicative of sepsis. Soon later, the physician met with him and diagnosed him, and began rapid treatment,” she said of the experience. “As the family member I spoke up, and that’s what I would like to share with others. The nurse was also very receptive and became concerned and took that to the physician. It was a very conducive environment. I want our nurses to be confident and open minded about sepsis.”
Seilbach is already making improvements at MHSC in her Quality Analyst RN role. “After reviewing the hospital’s dashboard, our sepsis compliance was at 16% for the month of November….I talked to my supervisor and asked if she would be willing to let me start a Sepsis Work Group and start making some improvement efforts to increase our sepsis compliance.” After that innovative thinking and some hard work, the MHSC compliance was at 100% at the time of Seilbach’s submission.
The sepsis work group that she established continues to grow and improve awareness and care in the facility.
“I am so humbled and grateful to be chosen as the recipient for this award. Winning this award will help in more ways than one; it will benefit our Sepsis Work Group by providing lunches for our frontline staff and other key members, as well as allowing myself and others to obtain higher education regarding sepsis. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
