Even with faulty equipment and a challenging environment, Jen Vuich, RN, CCRN, CEN, was able to stay calm and save a life.
Navigating a maze of parking, rushing from gate to gate, fending off armrest-stealers and seat-kickers... Air travel can be exhausting, and an in-flight emergency takes it to a new level. That’s what Jen Vuich, RN, CCRN, CEN, a clinical nurse in Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s Emergency Department, discovered on a February flight to Florida, but by drawing on her training, her resolve, and her ability to make quick judgment calls, she was able to turn a stressful, unstable situation into a “great save.”
Vuich and her partner, Donelle Rhoads, MD, a surgeon at Chester County Hospital, were settling in for what they expected to be an entirely uneventful flight to Fort Lauderdale. The seatbelt sign had barely been switched off when there was suddenly an urgent announcement asking any physicians on board to come to the front of the plane. Without hesitation, Vuich and Rhoads made their way towards the cockpit, followed closely by another doctor, where they found a panicked flight attendant and a young man struggling to hold a dazed, 75-year old woman. While Vuich tended to the woman, Lena Banks, Rhoads turned to her daughter, Stephanie Holmes, to get caught up on the details.
Holmes explained that she and her mother were on their way to a church conference, where her mother would be leading a speaking engagement. When her mother got up to use the restroom, she “heard this very distinctive, jarring sound come from her. I looked around, and there was my mom on the floor. She was still breathing, but she was limp, and that’s when they called for any doctors or nurses.”
Holmes revealed that her mother was diabetic, so Vuich initially thought the issue was related to Banks’ blood glucose level and requested orange juice for her. While trying to get Banks to sip it, though, Vuich realized she no longer had a pulse. Vuich sprung into full emergency nurse mode and laid Banks in the cramped aisle to initiate CPR. The doctor kept her airway open, and Rhoads called for an AED. Within a minute, Banks began responding, but she remained lethargic.
“I was confident we had just witnessed cardiac arrest,” Vuich said. “I administered aspirin and positioned myself on the floor with her so she was leaning upright against me. I was insistent that she not be moved back to her seat.”
Not only was the location less than ideal, but the medical equipment on board was lacking. Rhoads realized the equipment was not all in a centralized, clearly labeled compartment, and this made Vuich’s attempt to monitor Banks’ vitals and treat her low blood pressure and nausea even more difficult. She wanted to place an IV, for example, but the tubing was insufficient and of questionable quality. As she offered Banks physical and emotional support, Rhoads worked with the crew to contact the medical command team via Air Traffic Control and discuss coordinating an emergency landing in order to get Banks to a hospital as quickly as possible
A few crew members were shaken by the turn of events, but Banks and her daughter remained calm and hopeful. “It sounds strange, I know, but I wasn’t upset or scared or crying,” Holmes said. “There were so many people rushing to help and to take care of her, so I was okay.” Banks was also far more concerned with Vuich’s well-being than her own.
“I was trying to make small talk and keep a conversation going,” Vuich said. “We talked about her career as a public speaker and the engagement she was going to, but she just kept asking if I was okay. Me!”
As Vuich kept Banks awake and responsive, Rhoads continued advocating for an emergency landing. The pilot and Air Traffic Control ultimately agreed time was of the essence, and the plane was diverted them to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, where EMS was ready and waiting. However, the life-or-death decisions were not over for Vuich.
“I had to decide whether or not to set [Banks] up on an oxygen tank. There was no way to secure it – and they’re highly flammable – and we were sitting directly behind the cockpit door,” Vuich said. “Although it probably would have been best for her, I had to opt not to because it would put all of the other passengers at risk. It was a tough call, but I just kept holding her, and we prayed together.”
Lena Banks has forged a lasting relationship with Vuich and hopes to stage a reunion.
“As we landed, Jen stayed with my mom,” Holmes said. “She risked her life, I’m telling you. She kept my mom from bouncing or bumping and kept her safe. I was so impressed and grateful for her kindness.”
After landing, Banks and her daughter were transported to a local hospital, where they learned that Banks needed a pacemaker, and that she likely wouldn’t survive if she waited to return home. Though Banks was still worried that she’d disappoint those expecting her in Florida, Holmes helped her realize her life was on the line. The procedure was successful, and both mother and daughter have returned to New Jersey. Banks is eager to schedule a reunion to thank everyone for their efforts, and they’ve forged a special, lasting connection with Vuich.
“What was so incredible about this whole thing was that they immediately stepped up,” Holmes said. “I’m so appreciative. They saved her life. I think it’s so important for people to realize what a bystander can do. Jen, Donelle, the other doctor, and the young man who didn’t have any medical background but still jumped up and stayed with us the whole time – they all made such a difference.”
As for Vuich, while she is not hoping for any similar events in the future, she knows that her experience as an ED nurse has made her uniquely suited to take control, be quick on her feet, and offer help to those in need, even in the most challenging and unpredictable situations.
“In a civilian medical emergency outside of a hospital setting, you really just have to go back to the basics and be resourceful,” Vuich said. “It may not be as comfortable because you don’t have the equipment or diagnostics that you’re used to. But you just have to rely on that gut instinct and do what you can.”