Colleen Klamm
October 2014
Colleen
Klamm
,
BSN, RN, WCC
Medical Ambulatory Care
Whidbey General Hospital and Clinics
Coupeville
,
WA
United States
The situation I would like to tell you about relates to the large hematoma on my left calf. While being seen by Colleen for a persistent skin issue on my right calf, I developed an ever growing hematoma on my left calf from a minor bump. After negotiating the hospital's ER several times with several different doctors, I was finally referred back to the MAC and Colleen.
Her understanding of very complex wound care and what it was going to take to, at this point, save my leg is simply astounding. She is all about doing whatever it takes to help the patient and help them understand what she is doing for them and why. Her dedication to treating my now severely damaged leg was simply above and beyond. She scheduled me for everyday possible to help minimize the damage and speed the healing. So dedicated that she made adjustments in her schedule to facilitate my needs. She stayed in close communication with Dr. P keeping him up to date on my progress. It was quite obvious that Dr. P respected her skills, as he differed to Colleen's wound care expertise in lieu of surgery.
There isn't one of your listed values that Colleen doesn't exemplify. It is the value that isn't listed that makes her the best nurse I have ever had in all my experiences. Colleen has a sense of humor and she uses it with as much skill as any of her other attributes. Face it, by the time you are being seen by a wound care nurse in the MAC, life has dealt you a medical issue that is persistent and requires a special set of skills to navigate. In my opinion, Colleen is everything the DAISY Award is about and more.
...
I was a patient at the MAC for about a year. During most of that time Colleen was my nurse. I suffered from a rare auto-immune affliction which was very slow to heal. Every time I came for care, I felt welcome. Colleen showed professionalism with compassion. I could tell she too was disappointed in my progress initially and thrilled when I started to get better. She welcomed my comments and engaged me in discussion of treatment making me feel empowered in my own recovery.
She also serves as a mentor in the department. She was interested in researching my ailment and she shared what she had discovered. Though efficient, she was also gentle; causing much less pain than I may have otherwise experienced. I believe she really has healing hands!
When I have mentioned to others in the community how pleased I have been with the treatment I received from Colleen, those who know her reiterate my praise. I can think of no more extraordinary example of what the best in nursing should be than Nurse Colleen!
...
No matter what I have to come to WGH for, if I was ever given the choice of "one nurse" to choose for whatever care I need, I would choose Colleen. I have experienced her depth of knowledge, deep insight, incredible compassion, and the "grounded" way she brings these together- integrating and regarding the physical, mental, and emotional needs of patients. I feel blessed we have Colleen as our nurse at WGH.
Her understanding of very complex wound care and what it was going to take to, at this point, save my leg is simply astounding. She is all about doing whatever it takes to help the patient and help them understand what she is doing for them and why. Her dedication to treating my now severely damaged leg was simply above and beyond. She scheduled me for everyday possible to help minimize the damage and speed the healing. So dedicated that she made adjustments in her schedule to facilitate my needs. She stayed in close communication with Dr. P keeping him up to date on my progress. It was quite obvious that Dr. P respected her skills, as he differed to Colleen's wound care expertise in lieu of surgery.
There isn't one of your listed values that Colleen doesn't exemplify. It is the value that isn't listed that makes her the best nurse I have ever had in all my experiences. Colleen has a sense of humor and she uses it with as much skill as any of her other attributes. Face it, by the time you are being seen by a wound care nurse in the MAC, life has dealt you a medical issue that is persistent and requires a special set of skills to navigate. In my opinion, Colleen is everything the DAISY Award is about and more.
...
I was a patient at the MAC for about a year. During most of that time Colleen was my nurse. I suffered from a rare auto-immune affliction which was very slow to heal. Every time I came for care, I felt welcome. Colleen showed professionalism with compassion. I could tell she too was disappointed in my progress initially and thrilled when I started to get better. She welcomed my comments and engaged me in discussion of treatment making me feel empowered in my own recovery.
She also serves as a mentor in the department. She was interested in researching my ailment and she shared what she had discovered. Though efficient, she was also gentle; causing much less pain than I may have otherwise experienced. I believe she really has healing hands!
When I have mentioned to others in the community how pleased I have been with the treatment I received from Colleen, those who know her reiterate my praise. I can think of no more extraordinary example of what the best in nursing should be than Nurse Colleen!
...
No matter what I have to come to WGH for, if I was ever given the choice of "one nurse" to choose for whatever care I need, I would choose Colleen. I have experienced her depth of knowledge, deep insight, incredible compassion, and the "grounded" way she brings these together- integrating and regarding the physical, mental, and emotional needs of patients. I feel blessed we have Colleen as our nurse at WGH.