Koki's caring actions and clinical practice excellence were incredibly empathetic and impacted both my life and that of my family. I have been a nurse for 30 years and at Einstein for a short time now. Being a patient is a very unfamiliar and frightening role for me. From the moment Koki began caring for me, it was apparent that she "lives" the Einstein Caring Science Practice Model. The first time she met me she warmly said, "Hello", introduced herself, explained what I could expect and impressively "managed up" her team members. She spoke of the great RN and Tech team with whom she worked on Tower 6 and the caring presence of her manager. During her individual time with me, she was so caring and compassionate. When I was in pain, she acknowledged my fear in a way that demonstrated an authentic connection. I felt like I was her only patient when she was with me which made me feel reassured and safe. She consistently demonstrated expert clinical skill and her accountability to assure quality and safety.
Despite me being a nurse for so many years, Koki so caringly did not assume I was comfortable or that I knew the rationale for medical surgical interventions. I was so thankful for this because my background is OB nursing. She showed me each medication so I could participate in the verification prior to administration and engaged me in my plan of care using the communication (white) board.
As an interested patient, I asked Koki questions related to the medication scanners. Koki commented "I would never go back to the old way of medication administration. This way allows me to safely administer medication to my patients." Lastly, Koki's commitment to the relationships she builds is palpable. As a nurse and a patient, I felt comfort and safe in her care; but I wasn't the only one. During my second night, my eldest daughter was visiting. When Koki entered the room she recalled a conversation she and I had the night before. She immediately greeted my daughter and said to her "your mom is so proud of you and she knows how you and your sisters worry. She is doing better." My daughter later commented on Koki's warmth and kindness.
The heart of Jean Watson's theory of caring is the person. In my thankfully short time as a patient of Koki's, it is clear that she exemplifies Einstein's concept of the person in Einstein's professional practice model being the patient, the family, or colleague. I am proud to be a member of Einstein's nursing department and wanted everyone to know that Koki sets our "caring" bar as high as it should be.