Kara Strudgeon
August 2022
Kara
Strudgeon
,
RN
PICU
University of Michigan Health at Michigan Medicine
Ann Arbor
,
MI
United States
In that moment I needed someone in the room to tell me what to do, to keep me from crumbling, and she was that person.
Kara volunteered to be our son’s primary nurse during his stay in the PICU. We could not say enough good things about Kara as a nurse and as a person. She quickly became our son’s favorite! She always advocated for him, knew when to push him, and when to give him grace.
We met Kara on one of his worst days. Honestly, a day he came close to dying. While everyone in the room was bustling about, Kara had this calmness about her. As I stood at my son’s bed crying, she just kept telling me to “love on him, he knows you are here and he can hear you”. In that moment I needed someone in the room to tell me what to do, to keep me from crumbling, and she was that person.
That day was a turning point for our son, and I don’t think it was a coincidence. He had made it through the night, Kara became his primary nurse, and he continued to improve from that day forward. He seemed to know when she was on shift because he would “perform” for her, making big strides in recovery on those “Kara days”. She was HIS person.
In a year when healthcare workers have been on the front lines of a pandemic, we saw first-hand just how amazing nurses are. Specifically, in the PICU, they not only take care of the patients but their families as well. Kara always made sure we were doing okay and was a positive light during the most difficult time in our lives. She encouraged us to go home and recharge, and because of her, my husband and I felt comfortable leaving. We knew our son was in the very best of hands with Kara.
Living in a hospital for months can be very lonely. Kara and my husband bonded over their mutual love of golf and I felt like I had a best friend I could chat with. She even went out of her way to make our anniversary special. We decided to leave the hospital for dinner that night and Kara called the restaurant and treated us to dessert! My husband and I were not her patients, but she was always taking care of us, regardless. Kara is one of those special people that come into your life at the most difficult times. She loves her job, and that was very obvious. But more importantly, she loves her patients and families.
We are so very fortunate she was part of our son’s PICU journey. There will never be enough “thank yous” to express our gratitude for Kara. We will forever be looking for ways to honor and give back to nurses. When I saw The DAISY Award information on the room window, I thought that maybe it would be a good place to start. With all of our love and respect, we nominate Kara.
We met Kara on one of his worst days. Honestly, a day he came close to dying. While everyone in the room was bustling about, Kara had this calmness about her. As I stood at my son’s bed crying, she just kept telling me to “love on him, he knows you are here and he can hear you”. In that moment I needed someone in the room to tell me what to do, to keep me from crumbling, and she was that person.
That day was a turning point for our son, and I don’t think it was a coincidence. He had made it through the night, Kara became his primary nurse, and he continued to improve from that day forward. He seemed to know when she was on shift because he would “perform” for her, making big strides in recovery on those “Kara days”. She was HIS person.
In a year when healthcare workers have been on the front lines of a pandemic, we saw first-hand just how amazing nurses are. Specifically, in the PICU, they not only take care of the patients but their families as well. Kara always made sure we were doing okay and was a positive light during the most difficult time in our lives. She encouraged us to go home and recharge, and because of her, my husband and I felt comfortable leaving. We knew our son was in the very best of hands with Kara.
Living in a hospital for months can be very lonely. Kara and my husband bonded over their mutual love of golf and I felt like I had a best friend I could chat with. She even went out of her way to make our anniversary special. We decided to leave the hospital for dinner that night and Kara called the restaurant and treated us to dessert! My husband and I were not her patients, but she was always taking care of us, regardless. Kara is one of those special people that come into your life at the most difficult times. She loves her job, and that was very obvious. But more importantly, she loves her patients and families.
We are so very fortunate she was part of our son’s PICU journey. There will never be enough “thank yous” to express our gratitude for Kara. We will forever be looking for ways to honor and give back to nurses. When I saw The DAISY Award information on the room window, I thought that maybe it would be a good place to start. With all of our love and respect, we nominate Kara.