February 2023
Karl
Kiewiet De Jonge
,
BSN, RN
Acute Pulmonary Unit
Inova Fairfax Medical Campus
Falls Church
,
VA
United States
This patient would defer to Karl when we asked him specifics about his goal and say “Well, whatever Karl thinks I need, let’s do that”. Karl has an innate ability to bond with his patients.
I’d like to take this time to recognize an amazing nurse and hope that he gets some sort of high-level recognition. So often we forget to recognize the excellent work of our colleagues.
Karl in APU is what I consider a top-notch nurse. Those who know me know that I don’t take such a title lightly. I’ve seen him go above and beyond for patients on countless occasions. His clinical expertise is second to none and his passion is unmatched. Many of the providers in the Department of Medicine joke that we have to defer to Karl for end-of-life conversations. If ever there is a patient with a poor prognosis and Karl is the nurse one can bet that he’s already started the goals of care conversations with the patient and the family. Several times, I’ve had patients with multiple specialists physicians having repetitive conversations about end-of-life with no significant progress. In these cases, Karl comes right in, bonds with the patient, and all of a sudden they agree to the things no one else could get them to agree to. For instance, a former DEA agent adamantly refused any form of narcotics throughout multiple rounds of chemo even during the end stages of his disease. No one on the team nor his daughter, an NP, could convince him that narcotics would make him feel better. Karl came in and all of a sudden this guy was agreeable to not only narcotics but also enrolling in hospice care and ending chemo (quite end-stage cancer complicated by bowel obstruction not surgical candidate but adamant that he wanted chemo). This patient would defer to Karl when we asked him specifics about his goal and say “Well, whatever Karl thinks I need, let’s do that”. Karl has an innate ability to bond with his patients.
Karl's greatness goes beyond communication and patient advocacy. He has excellent critical thinking skills and keen attention to detail. During trio rounds, without prompting, he initiates the discussion about next steps. He processes the medical information at a very high level and often reviews differentials that he’s come up with. He recognizes the early signs of clinical decompensation and promptly responds. Whenever he calls for any concerns we know that it’s serious and warrants our prompt response.
Karl highlights the importance of excellent nursing care. Moreover, I think that his interactions with these end-of-life patients might be a sign that our organization should consider a palliative nurse navigator. That would be a phenomenal addition to our palliative team and an excellent resource for patients. If ever there were such a position, I’d recommend Karl without hesitation.
Shout out to Karl
Karl in APU is what I consider a top-notch nurse. Those who know me know that I don’t take such a title lightly. I’ve seen him go above and beyond for patients on countless occasions. His clinical expertise is second to none and his passion is unmatched. Many of the providers in the Department of Medicine joke that we have to defer to Karl for end-of-life conversations. If ever there is a patient with a poor prognosis and Karl is the nurse one can bet that he’s already started the goals of care conversations with the patient and the family. Several times, I’ve had patients with multiple specialists physicians having repetitive conversations about end-of-life with no significant progress. In these cases, Karl comes right in, bonds with the patient, and all of a sudden they agree to the things no one else could get them to agree to. For instance, a former DEA agent adamantly refused any form of narcotics throughout multiple rounds of chemo even during the end stages of his disease. No one on the team nor his daughter, an NP, could convince him that narcotics would make him feel better. Karl came in and all of a sudden this guy was agreeable to not only narcotics but also enrolling in hospice care and ending chemo (quite end-stage cancer complicated by bowel obstruction not surgical candidate but adamant that he wanted chemo). This patient would defer to Karl when we asked him specifics about his goal and say “Well, whatever Karl thinks I need, let’s do that”. Karl has an innate ability to bond with his patients.
Karl's greatness goes beyond communication and patient advocacy. He has excellent critical thinking skills and keen attention to detail. During trio rounds, without prompting, he initiates the discussion about next steps. He processes the medical information at a very high level and often reviews differentials that he’s come up with. He recognizes the early signs of clinical decompensation and promptly responds. Whenever he calls for any concerns we know that it’s serious and warrants our prompt response.
Karl highlights the importance of excellent nursing care. Moreover, I think that his interactions with these end-of-life patients might be a sign that our organization should consider a palliative nurse navigator. That would be a phenomenal addition to our palliative team and an excellent resource for patients. If ever there were such a position, I’d recommend Karl without hesitation.
Shout out to Karl