Mackenzie Bratcher
June 2025
Mackenzie
Bratcher
,
RN
5th Floor Med/Surg
Norton Children's Hospital
Louisville
,
KY
United States
Mackenzie took special care to engage with my daughter. She brought fun and levity to the room. Mackenzie made my daughter feel important and that she was someone delightful to be around.
My daughter was admitted after a suicide attempt. She has had three days of dialysis and has been curled up, lying on her side facing the wall, most of the time we’ve been here. The third and fourth nights of our stay, Mackenzie was our nurse. It’s lovely that they assign the same nurse once a relationship has been developed. The first night, Mackenzie took special care to engage with my daughter. She brought fun and levity to the room. Mackenzie made my daughter feel important and that she was someone delightful to be around. The second night with Mackenzie was after a long day. My daughter needed some dressing changed that the parents stepped out for. My daughter expressed to Mackenzie that she was ready for dad to leave. It truly shocked me that my daughter expressed this to someone. She is very careful not to say or imply anything negative about her dad. I know the only reason this happened is because of all the safety Mackenzie created in their relationship the night before.
Mackenzie and the floor nurse manager came in to give her meds and talk to her. I stepped out so they could talk in private. The nurses told her they put a note into security to call up whenever dad arrives, so my daughter can have some notice, that her voice matters (which apparently brought tears to her eyes), setting boundaries is a good and healthy thing, that she’s so sweet, but she can’t let fear of hurting feelings control her. They also told her they put in a consult for a social worker that she could tell everything to and that it would be private. By the time we came back in, she was sitting up in her bed, smiling. It was like a different kid. I stepped out to talk to the nurses, and when I came back in, she was doing karaoke to Hamilton songs. The next day, she spent most of the day upright, engaging with two family members she requested come for a visit, and her foley was able to be removed. Mackenzie took steps to foster an environment of healing, love, and empower my daughter in such a way that had real, tangible impacts on her recovery.
Mackenzie and the floor nurse manager came in to give her meds and talk to her. I stepped out so they could talk in private. The nurses told her they put a note into security to call up whenever dad arrives, so my daughter can have some notice, that her voice matters (which apparently brought tears to her eyes), setting boundaries is a good and healthy thing, that she’s so sweet, but she can’t let fear of hurting feelings control her. They also told her they put in a consult for a social worker that she could tell everything to and that it would be private. By the time we came back in, she was sitting up in her bed, smiling. It was like a different kid. I stepped out to talk to the nurses, and when I came back in, she was doing karaoke to Hamilton songs. The next day, she spent most of the day upright, engaging with two family members she requested come for a visit, and her foley was able to be removed. Mackenzie took steps to foster an environment of healing, love, and empower my daughter in such a way that had real, tangible impacts on her recovery.