Katy is one of the most experienced PICU nurses I have ever worked with. Since our PICU has been very busy these past few months, she has been helping our unit by picking up extra shifts almost every week! In the past, I have seen her coordinate with an RT and other nurses so that a mother could hold her intubated child. This takes a lot of time and coordination, and the timing has to be right. The child has to tolerate a big transition like that while intubated. It is a very compassionate thing to do to take the extra time and resources so a mother can hold her sick child.

During our current respiratory surge in Peds/PICU, she recognized that some newer nurses needed more education about how to care for a child with a respiratory virus, like RSV. She took the initiative to communicate with leadership to let them know of the problem and came up with a solution. She and another night shift charge nurse created a PowerPoint about respiratory patients, HFNC, and different ways to support these patients. This PowerPoint is now (or will be) posted on SharePoint so that other units have access to this information.

I have also seen Katy work with new nurses when they are placing IVs. She is a part of the pediatric IV team and teaches an IV class for new Peds/PICU nurses. She teaches best practices for placing IVs and how to maintain them. She also has lots of great tips on how to tape an IV on a toddler so that they do not pull their own IV out. I am so thankful to work with Katy, and I learn new things from her every day!