sarah burkart, BSN, RN

Sarah shows extreme compassion for our patients in difficult situations. This example occurred this week. We had a 57-year-old patient admitted to the unit. The family had a difficult and unpleasant time processing through the emergency room and stated they were not "feeling the support or compassion" they should for having a family member who is in the dying process; the patient was placed on hospice and morphine drip.
When I came to work last night, the sister, who is DPA and in charge of the decision making for our patient and stayed by her sister's side constantly for the 3 nights they were here, she went out of her way to rave about the amount of time Sarah spent listening to their story (about 45 minutes), cried with them, gave hugs, prayed with them, and "provided the most extraordinary care" they have yet experienced. The sister and the family went out of their way to make sure I realized what a "gem" of a nurse we have on staff and wanted to make sure Sarah received "exceptional recognition." This is not a one-off story for Sarah, as she truly demonstrates extraordinary compassion and care for all her patients.