Kirstin Towson
April 2026
Kirstin
Towson
,
RN
6 Main
WellSpan York Hospital
York
,
PA
United States
Kirstin took the time to hear from him what was in his best interest and combined the two for a successful outcome.
As I woke the morning after surgery, I heard this wonderfully joyful personal story someone was sharing with the patient in the room with me. I didn’t know anything about him or why he was there. They were just two people talking in my room, honestly, I had my own priorities at the moment.
I soon learned that this fountain of joy was Kirstin, and she was to be my nurse for the day. I did not realize how much that little word “nurse” could really mean. I have two sisters who are nurses, but I never really understood or appreciated what that meant. Today I learned a great deal about Kirsten and what her job really means.
It’s all about me. No, really, Kirstin was all about me. She knew I arrived late at night after surgery. After ensuring I was comfortable, not exactly a thing with so much belly bloat, she explained what I needed to do to relieve that pressure and, more importantly, what not to do as I started to push a little to relieve some gas. Soon, she introduced me to the “gas-free zone,” where I was encouraged to “let her rip!” and to please walk as much or as often as I could, as it was the best way to get the gas moving out of my body.
This is not what this award is about. Let me take you backstage on the TV set of WellSpan York Hospital. I’m lying in my hospital bed when a group of doctors enters the room and begins talking to my roommate. It’s my first day, so I really only know his name. After a bit, I realize that two of the doctors are discussing the need to perform some kind of surgery. Kirstin is also there listening to the surgical team make their case for immediate surgery. My roommate is not in agreement.
The surgical team did a really great job of explaining all the reasons why the surgery was needed. It was clear that they were very concerned that he might not survive waiting much longer. I don’t recall if this was during that conversation or just after the surgical team left. I heard Kirstin go up to him and start a new conversation with words something like, “I know you are scared. Let’s talk about it. What has you scared?” He goes on to share all his very serious concerns. I learned that he has a lot of very good reasons to fear this surgery. He truly might not survive. After hearing his story, I am not certain what decision I would make in his place.
Kirstin, however, works through each of his concerns, explaining exactly how the surgical team plans to mitigate each one. She includes what teams are available to ensure each of his other medical conditions will be managed. Without ever telling him what he should do, Kirstin convinced him to have the surgery by addressing each of his concerns individually. Everyone else seemed to be telling him what was in his best interest. Kirstin took the time to hear from him what was in his best interest and combined the two for a successful outcome. And that’s what being a nurse means!
I soon learned that this fountain of joy was Kirstin, and she was to be my nurse for the day. I did not realize how much that little word “nurse” could really mean. I have two sisters who are nurses, but I never really understood or appreciated what that meant. Today I learned a great deal about Kirsten and what her job really means.
It’s all about me. No, really, Kirstin was all about me. She knew I arrived late at night after surgery. After ensuring I was comfortable, not exactly a thing with so much belly bloat, she explained what I needed to do to relieve that pressure and, more importantly, what not to do as I started to push a little to relieve some gas. Soon, she introduced me to the “gas-free zone,” where I was encouraged to “let her rip!” and to please walk as much or as often as I could, as it was the best way to get the gas moving out of my body.
This is not what this award is about. Let me take you backstage on the TV set of WellSpan York Hospital. I’m lying in my hospital bed when a group of doctors enters the room and begins talking to my roommate. It’s my first day, so I really only know his name. After a bit, I realize that two of the doctors are discussing the need to perform some kind of surgery. Kirstin is also there listening to the surgical team make their case for immediate surgery. My roommate is not in agreement.
The surgical team did a really great job of explaining all the reasons why the surgery was needed. It was clear that they were very concerned that he might not survive waiting much longer. I don’t recall if this was during that conversation or just after the surgical team left. I heard Kirstin go up to him and start a new conversation with words something like, “I know you are scared. Let’s talk about it. What has you scared?” He goes on to share all his very serious concerns. I learned that he has a lot of very good reasons to fear this surgery. He truly might not survive. After hearing his story, I am not certain what decision I would make in his place.
Kirstin, however, works through each of his concerns, explaining exactly how the surgical team plans to mitigate each one. She includes what teams are available to ensure each of his other medical conditions will be managed. Without ever telling him what he should do, Kirstin convinced him to have the surgery by addressing each of his concerns individually. Everyone else seemed to be telling him what was in his best interest. Kirstin took the time to hear from him what was in his best interest and combined the two for a successful outcome. And that’s what being a nurse means!