By Ross Balding

While still in the orientation phase of her new job as a cardiac unit nurse at Yale-New Haven Hospital, University of Rhode Island College of Nursing alumna Rachael Horrocks realized there was something wrong with one of her patients. The doctor believed it was simply a pinched nerve, but Horrocks remained steadfast with her gut feeling something was off.

She persistently expressed her concern, eventually convincing the doctor to order an MRI, which revealed the problem was much more serious than originally thought.

The patient was found to have a spinal abscess from the C2 to the C5 vertebrae and was immediately rushed into emergency surgery. Had Horrocks not advocated for her patient and consistently expressed her concern, the abscess may not have been discovered so soon, and the patient could have ended up permanently paralyzed or may have even died if it had gone unnoticed and was never drained.

Because of her efforts, Horrocks received the “Great Catch Award” from the hospital.

“Had it not been for the education I received and how much I was pushed during my time at URI, I don’t think the outcome for this patient would have been the same,” Horrocks said.

Horrocks, a New Haven native, graduated from the College of Nursing in May 2018.

Ross Balding is a senior journalism student and intern with the Academic Health Collaborative, of which the College of Nursing is a part.