Kathy is an amazing RN and always puts her patients and teammates first. She definitely practices ICARE values in all that she does.

Integrity: Kathy is honest with her veterans, her teammates, and herself. If she tells a veteran that she will call or follow-up with something, she always does it, and, if she can't for any reason, she is sure to call the veteran and inform that person of schedule changes. If her teammates require assistance and she is able to help, she will follow through with whatever help is needed and keep her promises. If she does not know an answer to something, she is honest and will let people know she doesn't have the answer - then she works to find it.

Commitment: Kathy is always fighting for the veteran and his/her rights. She has had situations where she will go into the home and finds that the veteran needs better devices in order to function, she will work tirelessly to make sure that the veteran receives the needed equipment. She is also very conscientious when it comes to medications. If Kathy finds a medication discrepancy or has concerns about medications in the home, she will immediately call the provider or the pharmacist for clarification. She is very vigilant about making sure that medication boxes are filled appropriately and that clinical reminders are completed in a timely manner.

Advocacy: Kathy is in the home for the veteran, but she always works with the family members to help ensure that the veteran is getting the best care possible. If she notices that the caregiver is expressing burnout, she will advocate for respite so the family can rest and rejuvenate to better serve the veteran later on. She also works with the veterans and family members to help get whatever benefits they may be entitled to - reaching out to the social worker or to a home health RN to ensure that services are in place that might benefit the veteran.

Respect: Kathy is always willing to jump in and provide whatever is needed in the home. If she enters a home and finds that the veteran's clothing is soiled or that the veteran has had an incontinent episode, she always takes care of that, even to the point of showering the veteran if needed, before she continues with her nursing assessment. She is constantly looking at how she can holistically serve the veteran and preserve the veteran's dignity, rather than just "doing her job" and leaving the home.

Excellence: Kathy is always looking for ways to improve her practice. If she doesn't understand something or has questions, she will look it up or ask. She is constantly looking for new or creative ways to improve the veteran's lives and is never afraid to approach the provider with her ideas. If she sees that a process could be improved or something could be done more effectively, she will help facilitate that and become the point person.

One specific example of Kathy's dedication was a veteran who had just been discharged from the hospital and was going to be admitted into our service. However, there were several discrepancies with the medications and none of the lists from the hospital, the VA, the rehab facility where the veteran was getting care, or another outpatient service were lining up. Kathy spent over five hours working to reconcile the medications, calling all of the facilities and providers on the various lists to make sure that the veteran was receiving the correct medications, and working closely with the VA pharmacist and the HBPC provider to get an accurate accounting. She truly goes above and beyond!

Overall, Kathy is a superb RN with fantastic critical thinking skills and an excellent work ethic. She looks at how she can solve problems rather than letting things compound, and she is always looking ahead to make sure that the veteran has all the necessary equipment, medications, or information/education so that the veteran and his/her caregivers can be successful in their homes. We are very lucky to have Kathy in HBPC.