February 2021
Kristen
Van Reekum
,
BSN, RN
OR
Overlook Medical Center
Summit
,
NJ
United States
The ICU nurses had a heavy load, and it was hard for them to coordinate FaceTime. Kristen made sure we got to see and talk to my mother, even though she was sleeping, sedated, and intubated.
Kristen works with me in the OR. During COVID, she volunteered to help in the ICU as she had previous NICU/peds/critical care experience. She felt it was her mission to help there. Not many of my coworkers were willing to dive right into the ICU, but Kristen felt she had to help. I didn’t want her to go out of her way for my mother when she ended up in the ICU, as I didn’t want Kristen to have more COVID exposure than she was already getting by assisting in the ICU, but she felt she had to help us. Kristen stepped in. She allowed us to FaceTime Mom. She let us talk to her and let us say our goodbyes. We never expected anything more, but Kristen made sure that every day she worked if she had time, she would let us talk to our mother. My father begged my mom each day to come back to us, in tears. The ICU nurses had a heavy load, and it was hard for them to coordinate FaceTime. Kristen made sure we got to see and talk to my mother, even though she was sleeping, sedated, and intubated.
We appreciate all the hard work Kristen and the ICU nurses did to care for my mom. My mom needed continuous dialysis and was on lots of drips as her blood pressure kept dropping extremely low. I was told by the nurses she really should have been a 1:1 but they were so slammed with COVID that it was hard. Kristen helped the nurses and made sure my mother would not deteriorate further. She always made sure she looked clean and presentable. She really went out of her way, as she does with all her patients. She helped many COVID patients in the ICU, not just my mother, and even went into work to assist the ICU nurses on days she wasn’t required to work. She truly is a hero.
My family cannot thank Kristen enough for the care and compassion she gave to my mother at that time and for putting her life at risk to help care for her and all the COVID ICU patients. I am sure she and the other nurses must have seen hell, but they kept pushing on in hopes that some of the patients would recover. I cannot commend enough the efforts of Kristen and the entire ICU team for bringing my mother back to us. Kristen went even further. My mother's pressure wound would not heal. I did wound care daily and when the necrotic tissue was gone, it went straight to the bone and tendon. The tissue would not fill in and had dead space. My mom had surgery and it just so happened that Kristen was working and was her OR nurse! It was great to see my mom get to meet her in person and be able to remember it!! My mom said “Kristen is a true best friend. She is so positive and has such contagious energy. She was so nice. She even checked on me in PACU”! Kristen showed true compassion and excellence in nursing. She was on a mission to help the sickest COVID patients, always positive and happy to help.
We are lucky to have my mother still with us. Kristen is truly an asset to the hospital and to nursing. All the healthcare workers who risked their lives during the first wave of the pandemic to care for COVID patients truly did help the patients regardless of the outcomes and should be appreciated for everything they did in the face of danger and the unknowns.
We appreciate all the hard work Kristen and the ICU nurses did to care for my mom. My mom needed continuous dialysis and was on lots of drips as her blood pressure kept dropping extremely low. I was told by the nurses she really should have been a 1:1 but they were so slammed with COVID that it was hard. Kristen helped the nurses and made sure my mother would not deteriorate further. She always made sure she looked clean and presentable. She really went out of her way, as she does with all her patients. She helped many COVID patients in the ICU, not just my mother, and even went into work to assist the ICU nurses on days she wasn’t required to work. She truly is a hero.
My family cannot thank Kristen enough for the care and compassion she gave to my mother at that time and for putting her life at risk to help care for her and all the COVID ICU patients. I am sure she and the other nurses must have seen hell, but they kept pushing on in hopes that some of the patients would recover. I cannot commend enough the efforts of Kristen and the entire ICU team for bringing my mother back to us. Kristen went even further. My mother's pressure wound would not heal. I did wound care daily and when the necrotic tissue was gone, it went straight to the bone and tendon. The tissue would not fill in and had dead space. My mom had surgery and it just so happened that Kristen was working and was her OR nurse! It was great to see my mom get to meet her in person and be able to remember it!! My mom said “Kristen is a true best friend. She is so positive and has such contagious energy. She was so nice. She even checked on me in PACU”! Kristen showed true compassion and excellence in nursing. She was on a mission to help the sickest COVID patients, always positive and happy to help.
We are lucky to have my mother still with us. Kristen is truly an asset to the hospital and to nursing. All the healthcare workers who risked their lives during the first wave of the pandemic to care for COVID patients truly did help the patients regardless of the outcomes and should be appreciated for everything they did in the face of danger and the unknowns.