It was a busy day on the PCU and the cath lab. Kelly was bringing a patient from the cardiac cath lab to Room 233. From the time I heard her coming she was comforting the patient and pleasantly conversing with him. I could hear Kelly telling the patient that everything went well, his wife was on her way to the room and that she would bring the PCU nurse taking over his care in to meet him. After she placed the patient in Room 233 she noticed that the call bell was on for Room 234 so she immediately went in. The patient in that room wanted some ginger ale so Kelly said she would be glad to help and got the patient, not hers, some ginger ale. Kelly took the ginger ale in and then spent a few minutes talking to this patient, again, not her patient, and both could be heard laughing from the hallway. Kelly came out of Room 234 and stopped the nurse for both rooms to let her know both what was happening with the patient she brought from the cath lab and the patient for whom she answered the call bell. Kelly stopped to provide me with some information on a safety concern which she had previously brought to my attention and then went on her way back to the cath lab.
From start to finish Kelly used the skills and demeanor which we hope all of our nurses will have. She used AIDET. She demonstrated great handoff communication. She showed compassion with the patients (even those for which she was not caring) and their families. She used her strong clinical skills and provided comfort to each individual she met. Kelly did all of this while never getting rattled despite being busy. And, Kelly did all of this with a big smile, which as many of you know, is my mantra to patient satisfaction and care. What I came to realize after I thought about this encounter was that this is how Kelly is every day.
Hilton Head Hospital is blessed to have many technically excellent caregivers. We also have many who have gone out of their way to care for patients. Kelly does all of the things which the family of Patrick Barnes so appreciated on a daily basis. She provides great care, leadership, and comfort for all.