Kaitlan Harris
March 2014
Kaitlan
Harris
,
BSN, RN
ICU
Baptist Health Louisville
Louisville
,
KY
United States
I want to tell you about my experience at Baptist East when my dad was there the last week of December specifically in the ICU with nurse Kaitlan Harris. My dad had a stroke and was taken to Baptist Hospital on December 22. He was paralyzed on the right side and placed on a ventilator. He was in room 389 - a room where I spent MANY hours at the bedside at night talking to him and crying. There were many people in and out checking on him - all exceptional and professional. Every person I had come into contact with was very kind and willing to listen to me tell my stories of my dad. It was so important for me to let everyone know what kind of man he was and that he's not 'just another patient' on a vent.
As a nurse myself, I have seen families at the bedside in pain and despair. I understand how important it is to LISTEN to family. I understood this prior to my dad dying on New Year's Day as my mom died in the Baptist ER years before. I have a long history with Baptist East...personally and professionally (with nursing school clinicals).
It is because of my experiences that I know a wonderful person and know a fabulous nurse when I see one. Kaitlan is that nurse. She was the most thorough in her assessments and let me know that my dad actually did have slight movement on the right side with stimulation of the pen on the cuticle. As a nurse, I knew what the ultimate outcome of my dad's prognosis would be, but as a daughter, this little piece of knowledge just made me feel better. She LISTENED to me, she offered me something to drink, she talked with me when I needed to talk. She took the TIME to be with me when I needed someone. I'm an only child with no other family. I was there during the night as I work third shift myself and it gave me more time to talk with my dad in his last days. Because of this, my friends weren't always able to sit with me. Kaitlan, whether she knew it or not, helped to comfort me. Perhaps she was "just doing her job". But it's a job she does very well.
As a patient's family member, she's the nurse I hope we all get to encounter in our hour of despair, and as a nurse, I believe she's the type we should aspire to be. With my utmost respect and gratitude to all the Baptist ICU staff I nominate Kaitlan Harris for the DAISY Award.
As a nurse myself, I have seen families at the bedside in pain and despair. I understand how important it is to LISTEN to family. I understood this prior to my dad dying on New Year's Day as my mom died in the Baptist ER years before. I have a long history with Baptist East...personally and professionally (with nursing school clinicals).
It is because of my experiences that I know a wonderful person and know a fabulous nurse when I see one. Kaitlan is that nurse. She was the most thorough in her assessments and let me know that my dad actually did have slight movement on the right side with stimulation of the pen on the cuticle. As a nurse, I knew what the ultimate outcome of my dad's prognosis would be, but as a daughter, this little piece of knowledge just made me feel better. She LISTENED to me, she offered me something to drink, she talked with me when I needed to talk. She took the TIME to be with me when I needed someone. I'm an only child with no other family. I was there during the night as I work third shift myself and it gave me more time to talk with my dad in his last days. Because of this, my friends weren't always able to sit with me. Kaitlan, whether she knew it or not, helped to comfort me. Perhaps she was "just doing her job". But it's a job she does very well.
As a patient's family member, she's the nurse I hope we all get to encounter in our hour of despair, and as a nurse, I believe she's the type we should aspire to be. With my utmost respect and gratitude to all the Baptist ICU staff I nominate Kaitlan Harris for the DAISY Award.