Nurses spend many hours caring for patients every day and there are rare occasions where nurses spend much of their time helping those who have not yet become patients. This is the story of Katarina Harvey.
I walked by a parent and her son sitting on a bench in the radiology hallway and we exchanged a masked face nod. I looked back and they appeared to be alone and lost. I asked if I could help them, and the language barrier was evident; they spoke Spanish and I did not. The parent provided me a few sentences related to a room she was looking for while showing me a CD. I thought she wanted to find the radiology digital imaging CD library, but something didn't seem right. So I called one of the radiology nurses, Katarina who speaks fluent Spanish and was working in interventional this day, to assist us.
Katarina demonstrated compassion and commitment to this family and connected with many people on the phone. She called several numbers on the parents' documents to assist with scheduling an appointment which is what the family needed. On the documents the parent had shared, there were three different providers' names and numbers for the parent to call; none of which the parent understood. Katarina was determined to reach the right clinic and provider for the symptoms the young man was describing. Her compassion was evident during the warm and attentive communication to the parent and her son during the numerous calls and questions to ensure they remained informed of the activities and phone conversations. After one hour and following many calls, questions, and communication with several persons, a scheduled clinic visit was successfully made for the next day and the parent was so relieved.
Katarina was committed to assisting this family full circle; she did a walking tour with them to show where the 4th floor clinic was located for the following day. She also walked them to the 1st floor FIC office which was a requirement prior to the scheduled visit. The next day would be easier for the family having this individualized care by Katarina. The following day, Katarina walked to the clinic to see if the family was present and they had made it!
Katarina Harvey demonstrates quality care for all patients in our building and exemplifies each of our core values every day.