Karen Hensen is a Nurse on 4 East and has worked on the unit since I started 22 years ago. She frequently works as a Charge Nurse on the unit. Anytime we have a question, she always has the answer. If not, she makes sure to look up the policy. She remains calm in emergency situations and is always available to help when a patient is in distress. Also, if a patient or family member is frustrated or angry, she is good at de-escalating the situation. She almost always has to take patients on top of being the Charge Nurse. She is able to provide excellent care to her own patients as well as assist the other staff with their many questions throughout the shift. She never seems frustrated or unapproachable. Karen is friendly and is inclusive to everyone on the unit. She is non-judgmental and provides a listening ear to all of her patients. She likes to talk about her fur babies and gets excited about other people’s pets as well. She provides a genuine, caring touch both to her patients and families. She does assignments in a fair manner and does her best to complete the assignments on time before the next shift arrives. Karen also is great at starting IV's. She will always attempt a difficult IV prior to calling the vascular team. Many times she will get it! I always know the day will go well when Karen is in charge!
***
A true Nurse brings joy, expertise, and support to her patients and co-workers. Karen Hensen does this each and every shift that she steps onto the unit. She is a life force and a glue that binds! For the last 25 years she has honored cardiac patients, participants in our unit-based council, taught ACLS CPR, leads as a primary Charge Nurse, has mastered our unit schedule’s daily assignments – no small feats! Karen knows this unit inside-and-out and is a calm force when codes strike on our unit. She leads by example and makes sure that patients and their families feel at ease during high intensity and stressful situations. Her ability to stay levelheaded is unparalleled. She has endured a lengthy nursing tenure and continues to roll with the changes. It is a privilege to work alongside with one of the greatest cardiac Nurses of this hospital! We thank her for her abilities and presence each and every shift. Thank you, Karen!