Kathy is an Extraordinary Nurse with years of experience. She has had countless patient interactions that have absolutely been invaluable to many people. She walks into rooms without judgment, always keeps a calm demeanor, and looks after her coworkers. While she is working Kathy is in charge of our schedule and spends countless hours making sure everyone gets a schedule that works for them and their work-life balance. She has single-handedly been responsible for some of the nursing retention at Avista because she really cares about the well-being of people as a whole. Kathy took a seamless lead in the department while we were looking for a manager. No one batted an eye when she took on manager duties and helped the department transition.

One thing not a lot of people know about Kathy is she is just as busy in her home life. She has a husband who cannot work and therefore holds down two jobs for their home. If you can imagine working in healthcare several more days a week than the average nurse and yet still coming to work with the effortless positive energy that Kathy does. It is inspirational to all of us and so deserving of more recognition.

I call her a “Mom to the department”, she always wants to see pictures of everyone’s family, and she has such a pulse on what people are going through. She takes an active interest in people’s families and heartaches. She truly is one of the most special individuals I know. When I chose to be staff at this hospital, I knew this was the place because of her and Kathy could really work with me and that was comforting beyond measure. We all love Kathy and appreciate her hard work and compassion. I don’t doubt anyone reading this nomination would disagree – She is one of a kind. We are so grateful she is here and that nursing is just ‘one’ of the many things she is good at!