Kathleen completely engaged with us. Her compassion is unequaled and goes way beyond the level necessary to be a proper nurse.

My husband had been begging me to take him home due to a number of reasons. Kathleen made him smile, which is something I never expected to see. She told us she would be working the following day and would make sure that she would be caring for my husband. I was so impressed by her care that I also followed up with the charge nurse to make sure my husband was to be one of her patients.

The next day she was sick and could not make it to work. My husband was very let down saying "she almost made this bearable." She called the room later that day to explain why she did not come in and to check in on my husband. I assured her that I would let her know when he was discharged. Her personal interest in my husband was something that I considered remarkable.

Clinically, she was also amazing. She explained things thoroughly, discussing all options within the orders to deal with my husband's migraine. She instilled in us a comfort level with his ongoing care. We were extremely confident in her.

From a more personal standpoint, she recognized that I was having difficulty dealing with the situation. She took time to educate me in why it was necessary to take care of myself and would ask if I had eaten and those types of things. She was supportive of my efforts to assist in my husband's care as much as was appropriate and was a source of strength to me.

I think that Kathleen should be recognized for going above and beyond what was required of her.