Laura Zaske
November 2017
Laura
Zaske
,
RN
MICU
University of Washington Medical Center
Seattle
,
WA
United States
Laura is meticulous in her documentation, a wealth of knowledge about skin care and mobility, and has a "can-do" attitude for her team. Laura has a huge impact on contributing to 6SA's team spirit; from organizing the Secret Santa festivities to being the unofficial potluck planner, Laura constantly engages staff to participate in celebrations.
In addition to the attention she gives her unit, Laura's commitment and loyalty extend to her patients and their families. Laura received recognition from a family whose lives she has forever changed. The heartfelt letter below was written to acknowledge the impact Laura had on this family:
"My partner C has had many outstanding nurses over the past 9 months. From the day he was admitted to the ICU, Laura took ownership of his ever-growing complicated case. She would pop in to see how we were doing after her long shift, even if she wasn't his assigned nurse. Laura always answered our endless questions and made us laugh, with never a break in the action as she met C's demanding physical needs.
One day, C needed emergency surgery, or he would die. The surgeon gave us a long laundry list of possible complications and said the odds of C making it through recovery were slim. When Laura heard C was to go through with the surgery, she popped in and said she would be taking care of him, and took care of him she did! With her constant brilliant service, he had no complications. I have never seen anything like the way she worked with him. She had him up in a chair his third day, and by the week's end had him outside. She was constantly innovating ways to alleviate his problems, all the while meeting his overwhelming pill schedule. To complicate issues, C was also suffering from ICU delirium and through talking with him she brought him through to lucidity. Throughout all of this, she kept us all laughing and things lighthearted, and always checked in with how we were coping. Laura made a potentially horrific week tolerable. I wholeheartedly feel that Laura saved C.
Laura is so humble that she probably hates reading all these wonderful, gushing things about herself. She is a true DAISY Nurse. Laura is superhuman. The good kind of superhuman, with an enormous heart and the power to lift an entire family out of a desperate situation."
In addition to the attention she gives her unit, Laura's commitment and loyalty extend to her patients and their families. Laura received recognition from a family whose lives she has forever changed. The heartfelt letter below was written to acknowledge the impact Laura had on this family:
"My partner C has had many outstanding nurses over the past 9 months. From the day he was admitted to the ICU, Laura took ownership of his ever-growing complicated case. She would pop in to see how we were doing after her long shift, even if she wasn't his assigned nurse. Laura always answered our endless questions and made us laugh, with never a break in the action as she met C's demanding physical needs.
One day, C needed emergency surgery, or he would die. The surgeon gave us a long laundry list of possible complications and said the odds of C making it through recovery were slim. When Laura heard C was to go through with the surgery, she popped in and said she would be taking care of him, and took care of him she did! With her constant brilliant service, he had no complications. I have never seen anything like the way she worked with him. She had him up in a chair his third day, and by the week's end had him outside. She was constantly innovating ways to alleviate his problems, all the while meeting his overwhelming pill schedule. To complicate issues, C was also suffering from ICU delirium and through talking with him she brought him through to lucidity. Throughout all of this, she kept us all laughing and things lighthearted, and always checked in with how we were coping. Laura made a potentially horrific week tolerable. I wholeheartedly feel that Laura saved C.
Laura is so humble that she probably hates reading all these wonderful, gushing things about herself. She is a true DAISY Nurse. Laura is superhuman. The good kind of superhuman, with an enormous heart and the power to lift an entire family out of a desperate situation."