I wanted to take this opportunity to not only thank this nurse but to also recognize her small actions that had an impact on me and my family; so that it may encourage her as well as those in the profession and in the organization.

With three children, we have had many visits to the CH ED.  We have never had any negative experiences and have always been very pleased with the staff and the care. In both of these interactions, this nurse was never our primary nurse; and perhaps, to me, a nurse myself, that is the most impressive part of her actions.

We first met Kendra when our infant was in the ED for an ongoing respiratory illness.  We were beginning to grow frustrated.  Never with the staff, but just frustrated with having our baby be ill. I think we were just so mentally exhausted. I truly wish I could remember more of the scenario so that I could better explain why it meant so much to me. All I really remember is…it meant so much to me and my husband.  I just remember Kendra coming in and snuggling our baby after she was tired and fussy from having an AP Lat CXR.  She was truly a breath of fresh air and some air beneath our exhausted wings.  I can’t explain why, but her beaming love was refreshing.  And as I write this, perhaps for me, it was so refreshing because I feel like it was out of a place of love for her profession.

Time passed, which brings me to the current. We were in the ED with our middle child, our 4-year-old.  She was there for a possible SBO. She was tired, not feeling well, had already had labs done, had already been poked and prodded at the PCP office earlier in the day. She would not fully cooperate for her IV, her first IV stick was unsuccessful.  At this point, our child was totally uncooperative, and I feel like it was probably like drawing the short straw of who got to go in and try for a second IV on an uncooperative preschooler. Kendra was not our nurse but came in to try for an IV.  Kendra was wonderful. It was refreshing to see her familiar face walk in, and I really felt comforted by seeing her, at a time when my nerves and emotions were at their worst. My daughter was insistent on watching her favorite cartoon on Netflix while she tried to cooperate for her IV, no other cartoon would do.  As I went to turn it on my phone, I was unable to pull up my Netflix account due to my oldest using it at home at the time.  I asked my husband to please call and ask my mom (who was at home with my oldest) to have her turn off Netflix so that we could have access to it. Kendra graciously got her phone and let my daughter watch it off of her Netflix account on her phone. 

Kendra did a wonderful job of first talking and trying to connect and distract my daughter prior to doing anything. She took the needle out of the flexible portion of the IV catheter to show my daughter she didn’t need to fear having a needle in her arm.  Kendra told my daughter a funny story about her nephew, who was the same age as her, to get her mind off of the IV. Kendra even then took the time to show my daughter photos of her nephew that she took during this funny story that she told me and my daughter.  My daughter giggled and giggled.  It was a very busy night in the ED, and knowing that Kendra was unrushed and took this time, meant a lot.

While these things may seem small, and I’m certain Kendra didn’t think anything of them, they made a lasting impact on me. Even though they may be small actions and small encounters, I feel it speaks volumes to her character if these were just brief interactions we have had with her and her care.  It is often, I think, the very small encounters in our day to day that are more impactful than large actions. It’s those small humanizing actions that speak volumes, I believe. Seeing other nurses do extraordinary things often inspires me in my own care. My favorite motto and saying is, “Do small things with great love”.  Perhaps that is also why Kendra's actions have been so impactful for me in my encounters with her; she certainly embodies this saying.
 
Kendra, thank you very much as a fellow Wellspan Nurse and a mom; thank you for your care and kindness to my children, and thank you for your contribution to our profession.