Rachael Korne has always been so helpful and knowledgeable and supportive to the entire night shift staff. I have seen her go to extra lengths with doctors to get the correct orders for our patients. I can remember a few months ago, we had a patient received from a rapid response who came into the ICU. Rachael was such a good leader, running the code with the NP at the bedside, despite there being no doctor present. She took charge and called the doctors to update them, and even though the GI doctor was not responding to what the patient needed, she continued to run the code for 1.5 hours, something we all know is truly abnormal. This patient was a 35 year old man with no family, who had GI bleed. He was brought into the ICU with upper GI bleed and respiratory distress. He filled at least 2 suction canisters full, also going into cardiac arrest several times. With only the help of the NP, Rachael remained calm and continue to advise everyone on how to proceed.

Even beyond being a leader, she has an extremely compassionate presence in the ICU. When a 45-year-old man was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, the majority of nurses in the unit were hesitant to discuss the plan of care when his wife and children arrived. However, Rachael was calm, cool, and collected, and sat with the family answering any and all questions they had, for as long as was needed. He died that night, and she was still there with the family when it happened, being a calming figure in such a tumultuous time for them. I found that situation extremely intimidating and emotional, and I don’t know if I could have done what she did, the way she did.

She always is helpful; anytime someone is struggling, she will jump in and help. Since we don’t always have resources on night shift, it is comforting to know Rachael has our backs. She is a great leader, always rounding to check up on new nurses and travelers to make sure everyone is okay. She is truly a DAISY Nurse Leader.