Kathy O'Connor
October 2017
Kathy
Oconnor
,
BSN, RN
Nursing Education
Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Boston
,
MA
United States
Kathy O'Connor is a role model of service excellence to patients, their families, and Mass Eye and Ear staff alike. She has consistently demonstrated exceptional clinical expertise, tremendous patience, extraordinary kindness and endless compassion throughout the 9+ years I have had the pleasure of knowing her as a Nurse Educator. Whether she is attending to a patient during a STAT call, overseeing clinical competence of staff and/or educating/advising staff, Kathy always goes above and beyond what is expected of her. She is the exemplary nurse.
One most recent example demonstrating Kathy's commitment to MEEI patients involved an elderly ENT Emergency Room patient who had an allergic reaction to the IV contrast dye used in C-scan. Kathy had immediately responded to the STAT call and expertly participated in the care of this patient. After the patient had been stabilized in the C-scan suite, the patient was returned to the ED where further interventions and monitoring were continued.
This particular patient lived approximately 100 miles from MEEI. She had driven to her best friend's house in Stoneham, MA and the two elderly friends rode the train into Boston together. This friend is unaccustomed to taking the trains and/or traveling into Boston. The ED patient needed to be transported to Mass General Hospital for further monitoring but was uneasy about having her friend take the train back to Stoneham by herself in the dark. Kathy graciously and generously volunteered to aid this elderly woman. She escorted the friend to the train station and rode the train with her to make sure that she got off at the right stop. Kathy then had to wait until another train could return her to Boston in order to get back to her car in the employee parking lot and return home. Needless to say, Kathy didn't get home for several hours. Very few people would have taken on such a time-consuming endeavor, especially after having worked a very full and stressful day, but for Kathy, this was something that evolved naturally and effortlessly.
Kathy is one of the most compassionate and giving people I have met during my 22+ years of nursing. She represents the type of nurse I hope to one day become. She is a true DAISY Nurse.
One most recent example demonstrating Kathy's commitment to MEEI patients involved an elderly ENT Emergency Room patient who had an allergic reaction to the IV contrast dye used in C-scan. Kathy had immediately responded to the STAT call and expertly participated in the care of this patient. After the patient had been stabilized in the C-scan suite, the patient was returned to the ED where further interventions and monitoring were continued.
This particular patient lived approximately 100 miles from MEEI. She had driven to her best friend's house in Stoneham, MA and the two elderly friends rode the train into Boston together. This friend is unaccustomed to taking the trains and/or traveling into Boston. The ED patient needed to be transported to Mass General Hospital for further monitoring but was uneasy about having her friend take the train back to Stoneham by herself in the dark. Kathy graciously and generously volunteered to aid this elderly woman. She escorted the friend to the train station and rode the train with her to make sure that she got off at the right stop. Kathy then had to wait until another train could return her to Boston in order to get back to her car in the employee parking lot and return home. Needless to say, Kathy didn't get home for several hours. Very few people would have taken on such a time-consuming endeavor, especially after having worked a very full and stressful day, but for Kathy, this was something that evolved naturally and effortlessly.
Kathy is one of the most compassionate and giving people I have met during my 22+ years of nursing. She represents the type of nurse I hope to one day become. She is a true DAISY Nurse.