Our vacation came to an abrupt halt when my mother was admitted to the ICU at Beebe Medical Center. She had a massive GI bleed from an ulcer and was so weak she fell and broke her left femur. That morning, we first met Karl. He was present for both my mother and all of us. He explained her condition and all the tubes and drains, what each was for, and the goals for the day. This doesn't sound extraordinary, but it was more his demeanor. He was kind and adapted his language to address the audience. Since I am a nurse, he spoke to me as a colleague, to other members of my family he addressed a lay audience.
Critical care nurses must be highly skilled and competent. They need to be good thinkers, well organized, and knowledgeable. Sometimes a lack of caring is excused by the pressure of the precarious situation of the patient. There were some tense moments. But Karl never lost his cool. He just went along hanging blood and drips, checking alarms, and cleaning her up all the while letting us know what was happening. Not only did Karl speak to us, he leaned close and spoke to my mom even though she was vented, to be sure she was also informed of every plan, procedure, and comfort measure. His caring was evident in everything he did.
Karl took care of my mom for three straight days. He washed her hair! In the ICU! He used the "cap" but still he added that into his plan when there was so much technical medical activity. She said it felt so good. When he came back after a day off, he checked on my mother and on us every day we were there even though he wasn't her nurse. Through his caring we formed a relationship that wasn't broken by a different assignment.
Karl knew we were there on vacation and were not familiar with physician groups or consults. Karl gave us advice. He reassured us about the expertise of physicians and specialists that helped us decide to have my mom's orthopedic procedure done at Beebe before bringing her home. He was an advocate for my mom, at the same time a supporter for the hospital and the medical staff. Mom was in an uncertain, uncomfortable, and potentially undignified situation, and he treated her with the dignity of a VIP. We felt safe in his hands. We urge the DAISY Committee to consider Karl for this award.