I work with Katie on a frequent basis. At her young age, she is already one of our most experienced nurses. Katie is the perfect example of not only a nurse but a person, who goes above and beyond. She is a true inspiration.

I recently lost an uncle to heart and kidney disease. He was in and out of the hospital very frequently. On the last two visits of his life, it so happened that Katie was his nurse. I am a strong believer that God puts us in the right place at the right time. I believe Katie was meant to care for him on both of those occasions as well as for our family. During his last ER visit, he was very ill and the recommendation was made for hospice. As this was very difficult for our family and not everyone understood, Katie patiently explained what this meant as well as informed us that if we chose not to go with hospice, my uncle's wishes would still be honored.

Ultimately, the decision was made to have him go into hospice and we had that nurse arrive to explain in more depth. However, he spent many hours in the ER before transferring to the inpatient unit at another facility. During that time, Katie was very attentive. She made sure he was comfortable and that our family members were cared for by offering water and coffee. She answered many questions, sometimes the same ones twice without batting an eye. She gave kindness and compassion and my family loved her. They wanted to be sure I thanked her for them. Before leaving, she made sure to say the shift was changing and she was leaving but that she was glad to have been able to be there with us and she would pray for us. That was exactly what my uncle and family needed. After he passed away, she was sure to check on us and texted me to be sure we were hanging in there.

Katie is a leader in our department through her mentorship, quick thinking, flexibility, and ability to work under stressful and high-pressure situations. Looking at her in the midst of the chaos which is the ER, she is as cool as a cucumber. While I am sure on the inside she is probably operating at a million miles an hour, on the outside she is the picture of calm and organization. She reminds me of that little duck on the water who paddles so quickly underneath, but who on the surface seems to simply glide. She always has a more efficient way to do something and her communication is exemplary. Katie is kind and compassionate with care to all she may encounter whether patients, family, or friends. She is a DAISY Nurse.