Nurse helps man in waiting area, possibly saving his life

While helping the last infusion patient of the day out to his car, UCHealth nurse Gina Bagbey noticed a man sitting alone with an oxygen tank on his lap in the building’s waiting area.

It was 5:30 p.m., toward the end of her shift. As she returned from the parking lot at the UCHealth Cancer Care and Hematology Clinic in Fort Collins, she stopped to check on the lone man. The front desk had called for his ride, but it was up to two hours late.

“He seemed a little off, a little confused,” she said. She checked his tank: empty.

She called for vital-signs equipment and a fresh tank. His oxygen-saturation reading was 50%, which is dangerously low. It should have been above 88%. Bagbey asked someone to call 911 as they struggled to get his level above 70%.

His ride ended up being an ambulance. She waited with him until it arrived.

“I felt like I was just doing my job,” Bagbey said. A physician told her she likely saved the man’s life.

As an infusion nurse, Bagbey frequently sees people at the most difficult times of their lives. She said she loves her job, loves helping people and appreciates the opportunity to get to know them.

“A patient once told me, ‘Every day is a good day, just some are better than others,’” Bagbey said.

She started working in cancer care as a medical assistant in 2004. In 2012, she became a registered nurse. Her work with UCHealth totals nearly 11 years, and she said she’s privileged to work with her colleagues.

Michelle DeWitt, Bagbey’s nursing supervisor, said she’s an exceptional employee.

“Gina is a compassionate, intelligent oncology nurse,” DeWitt said. “She is detail-oriented and diligent in her care. She treats each patient as if they were her own family member.”

Bagbey said she feels “very blessed to work here with these nurses,” and that her colleagues also would have stopped to help the lone man in the waiting area.

“If he had gone home, he probably would have passed away.”