Julie Kennedy
December 2019
Julie
Kennedy
,
BSN, RN
Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Children's Hospital Colorado
Aurora
,
CO
United States
Julie Kennedy is one of those nurses you wish you could clone. As her manager, I am thankful for the contributions she makes to our team on a daily basis. While I could go on and on about how she embodies every bullet point listed under the criteria for this award, I received a copy of a SEED that was sent to her by a patient's mother that sums it all up beautifully:
"Julie,
As I sit here and finally write this, I can't seem to keep emotion out of my throat, tears out of my eyes and I will never be able to thank you enough for the outstanding nurse you are. You advocated for my daughter S when you were floated to the 8th floor. You are extraordinary and I am in awe of your professionalism and compassion that you showed both me and my daughter. That Monday night, I think we were headed in a bad direction, neither my kiddo nor myself had slept in days and you recognized her report of symptoms and held the intern accountable. You worked efficiently, with expertise and confidence, you insisted on finding her something for the pain when the intern was still beating around the bush. I firmly believe, because of you and your practice, S made a turn for the better. She slept for 10 hours that night, interrupted with commode visits but still slept peacefully. The next couple of days she definitely turned the good corner.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and souls. It is so hard to believe you haven't been a nurse for 20+ years. Your drive, dedication, and empathy are astounding. We will always remember and be thankful for everything you did for us."
This is the kind of nursing care we hope for all of our families to experience when they spend the night at Children's Hospital Colorado. Not only is this example nothing out of the ordinary for the kind of care Julie provides, but it impresses me even more because of the fact that she was floated to a floor outside of her area of expertise. Yet she still was a tireless advocate for her patient, while professionally collaborating with the healthcare team to achieve the greatest outcome. Julie is a true DAISY Nurse.
"Julie,
As I sit here and finally write this, I can't seem to keep emotion out of my throat, tears out of my eyes and I will never be able to thank you enough for the outstanding nurse you are. You advocated for my daughter S when you were floated to the 8th floor. You are extraordinary and I am in awe of your professionalism and compassion that you showed both me and my daughter. That Monday night, I think we were headed in a bad direction, neither my kiddo nor myself had slept in days and you recognized her report of symptoms and held the intern accountable. You worked efficiently, with expertise and confidence, you insisted on finding her something for the pain when the intern was still beating around the bush. I firmly believe, because of you and your practice, S made a turn for the better. She slept for 10 hours that night, interrupted with commode visits but still slept peacefully. The next couple of days she definitely turned the good corner.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and souls. It is so hard to believe you haven't been a nurse for 20+ years. Your drive, dedication, and empathy are astounding. We will always remember and be thankful for everything you did for us."
This is the kind of nursing care we hope for all of our families to experience when they spend the night at Children's Hospital Colorado. Not only is this example nothing out of the ordinary for the kind of care Julie provides, but it impresses me even more because of the fact that she was floated to a floor outside of her area of expertise. Yet she still was a tireless advocate for her patient, while professionally collaborating with the healthcare team to achieve the greatest outcome. Julie is a true DAISY Nurse.