Kate was my 27-year-old son's ICU nurse last week. He was admitted with sudden onset Rhabdomyelosis with kidney failure.
Kate went above and beyond her basic duties by spending time with my son - asking him if he had any questions after each doctor was consulted. She was instrumental in calling a trauma consult for his leg pain. She also followed up with the cardiology team and checked daily with the cardiology department to obtain the results for my son's echocardiogram.
She is very knowledgeable and discussed each test and procedure and the rationale for it. Kate also used comfort measures (ice and positioning) to manage his leg pain, in addition to medication.
In addition to taking care of my son's physical needs, she also made sure he understood what his prognosis was, always being upbeat about his valves improving day by day.
I'm a nurse and returned to work while my husband stayed with our son during the day. We live in Alexandria, so stayed in a hotel at night so we could be near our son. Kate went to the extra trouble of asking the front desk to prepare a list of nearby hotels which offered a hospital discount. We were able to book a room for the week at a much cheaper rate because of her help.
Once I returned to work, she took the trouble to call my workplace every afternoon to discuss my son's progress. I was very touched that she took the extra time to keep me informed during her busy day. I believe that Kate is an Extraordinary Nurse!