Kirsten Larson
May 2023
Kirsten
Larson
,
BSN, RN, PCCN, CNML
ICU Medical
AdventHealth Shawnee Mission
Shawnee Mission
,
KS
United States
This level of selflessness is on par with saint level in my opinion. We have not seen anyone else give this much of themselves to our patients, our staff, or this organization.
She is a rarity in the leadership field. She moves from talk to action and leads by example. (I am going to try my best to make this entry as concise as possible but with her being so dang awesome, it’s going to be difficult.)
Our Mission. She extends the healing ministry of Christ by picking up shifts and working at bedside. There were MONTHS where she would not only do her director job but also pick up the shortest staffed shifts in the ICU. These were usually Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Let’s pause right here for a moment to reflect. This is a Director who is working bedside, 3 shifts a week, and rather than moving people around so she can take her pick at a more desirable time for her schedule, she signed up for the overnight weekend shifts which were the shortest in the ICU, where the sickest patients are. Going into a shift and already knowing that staffing will be a stretch is hard for anyone. Did She complain? No. What did she do instead? She asked the staff working if they wanted Chinese food or pizza because she was buying dinner that night. This level of selflessness is on par with saint level in my opinion. We have not seen anyone else give this much of themselves to our patients, our staff, or this organization.
Communication. While she worked her weekend nights on the floor, she was still responsible for normal Director duties. Most of this is disseminating the overwhelming amount of communication that came through. What is low in supply? What is the substitute? Where do the washable gowns go? How long can you wear one? Which shift has the greatest staffing need? How will the bonus be paid out? Who will be rounding while she slept from night shift? The list could go on and on but I promised to attempt to be concise in this nomination. She sent emails, updated the LENS board, added information to the huddles, and posted info throughout the unit in order to keep her staff as up to date on all of these changes in a timely and efficient manner.
Positivity. Working in the ICU means seeing patients and their families on their worst days. It can be emotionally and physically draining. During our worst times in Covid, She looked for the joy. We had a board to celebrate our long-term Covid patients getting out of the ICU. The board just said the room number but the whole staff would know who it was and what it meant to have a Covid survivor. She would also update when the patient left the hospital. In the ICU, the staff rarely gets to see these milestones or even their role in it, but showcasing these victories helped spread a positive influence throughout the unit. I think the world of Kristen and her leadership. There is no one more deserving of this award.
Our Mission. She extends the healing ministry of Christ by picking up shifts and working at bedside. There were MONTHS where she would not only do her director job but also pick up the shortest staffed shifts in the ICU. These were usually Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Let’s pause right here for a moment to reflect. This is a Director who is working bedside, 3 shifts a week, and rather than moving people around so she can take her pick at a more desirable time for her schedule, she signed up for the overnight weekend shifts which were the shortest in the ICU, where the sickest patients are. Going into a shift and already knowing that staffing will be a stretch is hard for anyone. Did She complain? No. What did she do instead? She asked the staff working if they wanted Chinese food or pizza because she was buying dinner that night. This level of selflessness is on par with saint level in my opinion. We have not seen anyone else give this much of themselves to our patients, our staff, or this organization.
Communication. While she worked her weekend nights on the floor, she was still responsible for normal Director duties. Most of this is disseminating the overwhelming amount of communication that came through. What is low in supply? What is the substitute? Where do the washable gowns go? How long can you wear one? Which shift has the greatest staffing need? How will the bonus be paid out? Who will be rounding while she slept from night shift? The list could go on and on but I promised to attempt to be concise in this nomination. She sent emails, updated the LENS board, added information to the huddles, and posted info throughout the unit in order to keep her staff as up to date on all of these changes in a timely and efficient manner.
Positivity. Working in the ICU means seeing patients and their families on their worst days. It can be emotionally and physically draining. During our worst times in Covid, She looked for the joy. We had a board to celebrate our long-term Covid patients getting out of the ICU. The board just said the room number but the whole staff would know who it was and what it meant to have a Covid survivor. She would also update when the patient left the hospital. In the ICU, the staff rarely gets to see these milestones or even their role in it, but showcasing these victories helped spread a positive influence throughout the unit. I think the world of Kristen and her leadership. There is no one more deserving of this award.