October 2010
Kathy
Burleson
,
RN
Mental Health Unit
Providence Alaska Medical Center
Anchorage
,
AK
United States
Chemically dependent patients can be very difficult to work with because they can be grumpy and short-tempered due to detoxing. I have seen Kathy work wonders with many patients that other staff was struggling to help. She uses humor and knowledge and a down-to-earth approach that relaxes the patients. I have seen them talk openly to her about topics they would not honestly entrust to other staff.
I have seen the Mission of Providence be fulfilled completely by Kathy's work. I have seen Kathy show compassionate service to many poor and vulnerable patients that could fall through the cracks without her. She gets to the core of their problems, helps the patient face them, and then helps the patient accept the help of others. Then she goes above and beyond in helping the patient get hooked up with out-patient services.
Kathy works as an eager participant in our interdisciplinary team by attending our treatment teams, even though she technically works for Breakthrough. Also, she works as part of the teams on most of the other floors. Doctors from all throughout the hospital value her assessment skills and input on their chemically impaired patients. No other nurse to my knowledge performs in such a manner. She is part of the "hospital team'.
As far as "right care, at the right time", I have witnessed Kathy come back day after day until a specific patient is in the right state of mind to be receptive to her assessment and teaching. And then she comes back day after day to check in with them as they work forward, together and with the rest of the treatment team to set up out-patient services. It's touching to see how she worries and frets about such details as getting the patient out to the transporting van to go to get a screening at Breakthrough for example.
As for evidence-based practice, Kathy not only works at PAMC in-patient, she also works at Providence's Breakthrough out-patient CD program. Her many years of experience and knowledge has collected and re-distributed that of multiple in-services and interactions with multiple CD experts. She also helps coordinate out-patient care with Clitheroe and other treatment facilities and AA.
I have seen the Mission of Providence be fulfilled completely by Kathy's work. I have seen Kathy show compassionate service to many poor and vulnerable patients that could fall through the cracks without her. She gets to the core of their problems, helps the patient face them, and then helps the patient accept the help of others. Then she goes above and beyond in helping the patient get hooked up with out-patient services.
Kathy works as an eager participant in our interdisciplinary team by attending our treatment teams, even though she technically works for Breakthrough. Also, she works as part of the teams on most of the other floors. Doctors from all throughout the hospital value her assessment skills and input on their chemically impaired patients. No other nurse to my knowledge performs in such a manner. She is part of the "hospital team'.
As far as "right care, at the right time", I have witnessed Kathy come back day after day until a specific patient is in the right state of mind to be receptive to her assessment and teaching. And then she comes back day after day to check in with them as they work forward, together and with the rest of the treatment team to set up out-patient services. It's touching to see how she worries and frets about such details as getting the patient out to the transporting van to go to get a screening at Breakthrough for example.
As for evidence-based practice, Kathy not only works at PAMC in-patient, she also works at Providence's Breakthrough out-patient CD program. Her many years of experience and knowledge has collected and re-distributed that of multiple in-services and interactions with multiple CD experts. She also helps coordinate out-patient care with Clitheroe and other treatment facilities and AA.