Kathy
Dougherty
June 2012
Kathy
Dougherty
,
RN
Preadmissions and PreOp
Jefferson Methodist Hospital
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

Kathy Dougherty, RN, (left) is pictured with Mary Beth Edger, MSN, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, vice president of patient services at Methodist Hospital.

A nurse in the Preadmissions Testing Department and Pre-Op, Kathy Dougherty was nominated by the family of a neighbor she helped. The family member who also is a Methodist employee wrote, “Kathy ‘Doc’ is a truly caring, compassionate nurse who loves taking care of patients, her family and neighbors. On any given day you will find Kathy following up on patients she cared for the day before. She is always cheerful and passes this onto her patients.”

According to the nomination letter, one early Monday morning as Kathy was leaving her home she noticed someone trying to get into her neighbor’s house. She soon realized it was her neighbor trying to get into his own home.

He was bleeding profusely and seemed to be dazed. Although Kathy did not know the extent of his injuries, she called 911. She stayed with her neighbor and comforted him until the ambulance and his family arrived.

Her neighbor did not remember anything that had happened to him. The ambulance took him to Jefferson’s Emergency Room. He had multiple injuries, some severe and life threatening including rib fractures, a punctured lung and neck fractures. He spent the next three weeks in the Trauma ICU.

“Those three weeks were very scary for us,” commented the nominator. “Kathy would call or stop by to inquire how my uncle was doing nearly every day.”

Kathy’s neighbor is currently in Magee Rehab trying to get stronger so that he can get back home to his very active life. “My family and I would like to thank Kathy for actually noticing our uncle in the dark struggling to get into his house. Had it not been for Kathy finding him at that time and keeping him from moving around, our uncle might not be with us today. We are grateful and forever in Kathy's debt.”