Katelynn D’agostino
October 2020
Katelynn
Agostino
,
RN
Neuro ICU
UMass Memorial Medical Center
Worcester
,
MA
United States
I would like to recognize Katelynn D'agostino for the amazing and compassionate care she provides to her patients every day. I would especially like to call out the care and compassion she provided to one of our patients. This was a difficult case. The patient was a young mother with a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old who suffered a devastating illness and had a very poor prognosis.
Katelynn felt it was important that she look impeccable and as "normal" as possible for her family despite being intubated and having many IV drips. She painted her nails and as she was a nursing mother, Katelynn ensured that we had a breast pump to prevent her from becoming engorged. What I witnessed was how Katelynn interacted with the family. She made sure they knew she was available if they needed her but remained quietly in the background so as not to intrude on their time. And when it came time for the final minutes, you saw Katelynn quietly push the ventilator aside as the respiratory therapist extubated her, and get her husband settled in bed with her for their last good-bye. Katelynn's dedication did not end here. Earlier in the day, Child Life had come by to get her handprints for her children to have as a keepsake. However, when it came time for her husband to leave, the handprints were not dry. Katelynn knew it was important that he have the handprints, but she also knew he needed to leave to get home to his children. So after working a 12-hour shift, Katelynn took the handprints and drove them to their house. And Katelynn said, "it was no big deal...it's my job".
I also want to acknowledge Katelynn's dedication to all her patients as well as her ICU team. Not long after our colleague died, Katelynn came to Labor Management (along with some of her fellow nurses), and eloquently presented some of the challenges the ICU team faces on a daily basis. She presented a case with actual statistics to support her position to advocate for additional resources for her team. Her passion for her patients and her colleagues was palpable during her presentation and yet she maintained a professional manner. Katelynn D'agostino is a role model for the professional nurse: kind, compassionate, team-oriented, and dedicated.
Katelynn felt it was important that she look impeccable and as "normal" as possible for her family despite being intubated and having many IV drips. She painted her nails and as she was a nursing mother, Katelynn ensured that we had a breast pump to prevent her from becoming engorged. What I witnessed was how Katelynn interacted with the family. She made sure they knew she was available if they needed her but remained quietly in the background so as not to intrude on their time. And when it came time for the final minutes, you saw Katelynn quietly push the ventilator aside as the respiratory therapist extubated her, and get her husband settled in bed with her for their last good-bye. Katelynn's dedication did not end here. Earlier in the day, Child Life had come by to get her handprints for her children to have as a keepsake. However, when it came time for her husband to leave, the handprints were not dry. Katelynn knew it was important that he have the handprints, but she also knew he needed to leave to get home to his children. So after working a 12-hour shift, Katelynn took the handprints and drove them to their house. And Katelynn said, "it was no big deal...it's my job".
I also want to acknowledge Katelynn's dedication to all her patients as well as her ICU team. Not long after our colleague died, Katelynn came to Labor Management (along with some of her fellow nurses), and eloquently presented some of the challenges the ICU team faces on a daily basis. She presented a case with actual statistics to support her position to advocate for additional resources for her team. Her passion for her patients and her colleagues was palpable during her presentation and yet she maintained a professional manner. Katelynn D'agostino is a role model for the professional nurse: kind, compassionate, team-oriented, and dedicated.