Kathleen Hall
April 2019
Kathleen
Hall
,
RN
Emergency Department
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center
Bellingham
,
WA
United States

 

 

 

Kathleen was working in the Emergency Department, assigned to the care of a Ventricular Access Device patient from our community. The nature in which the patient arrived at the hospital was critical and as many hands helped to stabilize the patient, Kathleen remained calm and steady, keeping the patient at the center of the care she gave. She was able to provide the best care to the patient. She took the opportunity to ask questions and further educate herself on this device so that she could be better prepared for the future. It was determined that the patient had a non-survivable diagnosis and care would be withdrawn later in the night. Kathleen stepped up when others felt uncomfortable with the situation and the device, staying past her shift to provide care to a man during his last moments. While this patient is unable to speak about the care he received, those of us in the Cath Lab who watched Kathleen's commitment to her patient, felt honored to call her a fellow nurse. This is an example of the leadership she has provided in the ED for many years.