Many people do not walk into an emergency room because they are having the best day of their life, in fact, for most, walking into an emergency room is often when people are having the worst of days. This was true for me when I had to rush my 12-year-old daughter to the emergency room, as she had intentionally attempted to overdose on ibuprofen. The drive there was the most scared I had ever been in all of my life, as I did not know what would happen. When something like this occurs, being a nurse goes to the wayside, and you become a parent. A frightened, grieving, emotional roller coaster of emotions. I walked into the emergency room that night, not as a member of this hospital's nursing team, or a leader, but as a mother who was alone and worried beyond anything imaginable, and Kate was there to greet us.
Kate immediately took my daughter and left her in the capable hands of the nurse practitioner, as I was being flooded with questions from registration and other members of the team, my head spinning, heart hurting, and not knowing how to process any of this, Kate took me away from it all. She offered me a water and took me somewhere quiet. She looked at me, not as a nurse, or a peer, but as a parent, and her empathy, compassion, and concern were evident from that moment. She allowed for me to cry and asked me questions in a precise but caring way. She offered a hug, she offered me her time. I knew at that moment because of her, that my daughter was in gifted hands, and not just in nursing skill, but gifted with a heart that cannot be taught in nursing school.
Kate and I returned to the room where my daughter was, and I then got to see her in action, explaining everything to my daughter, in a way a 12-year-old could understand, using real-life experiences of her own to get on the level of a hurting young girl. She was gentle, and I could see the security my daughter felt with her immediately. To a parent who is scared to death for the life of their child, feeling that security meant more than anything at that moment. With Kate, I felt safe, a feeling one would almost think impossible under these circumstances.
Kate worked effortlessly with her peers and the rest of the staff in the emergency room, to provide the most comprehensive, compassionate care possible for my daughter. She exhibited the highest level of professionalism possible, exemplifying not only the science of nursing in her skill but the art in her gentle, compassionate, loving way. She never forgot to include either myself or my daughter in her explanation of the process and did so in a way both of us responded to.
I will never forget Kate, because, on the worst night of my life, Kate became a bright spot, a glimmer of comfort; she truly embodies this award, as she encompasses all it stands for, from compassion to the love for her career, the way she worked as part of a team, her selflessness in taking care of me before herself. She is truly admirable, and I will be eternally grateful for her care on this night.