Understanding that The DAISY Award is traditionally an individual award, I submit this nomination hoping that an exception can and will be made to recognize two of the most caring and talented nurses that Memorial Hermann The Woodlands has to offer. While either of them individually would absolutely run away with the award, the two of them together have completely transformed what would have been a completely awful ordeal, into an experience that when we tell the story always begins with how amazing our nursing team has been.
All nurses are extraordinary people; they are able to put their lives on hold to care for a stranger. SICU nurses, however, are a special breed of their own. My wife was admitted to the ER just before Hurricane Harvey began its attack on Texas, and as of today, she remains in the SICU.
Our journey down this path has been full of countless speed bumps, detours, and flat out reversals. If it can go wrong, chances are it has. As great and wonderful as our team of physicians has been, it's been the nurses that have truly kept us going throughout this ordeal.
The first nurse I met upon our arrival into the SICU was Michelle Walls and she has been by our side through the majority of the daylight hours that we've been in the unit. Word very quickly spread that my wife was a SICU nurse herself at a different facility, and we all know that nurses make the very best of patients don't we? My wife did her best to be a nice and compliant patient but just couldn't help herself when a pump would start to beep. Michelle was always on the spot and on her way to the room to catch my wife red-handed but never lost her cool. She'd make a joke about my wife being one of "those patients" and would tend to the pumps. Doctors would round and discuss their plans for my wife, who being in the field herself understood everything, but being medicated wasn't always able to relay that information to me. Michelle, however, would take the time to sit with me and explain in a way that a nonmedical professional was able to comprehend. When I had questions and concerns she wouldn't hesitate to stop and address them, even if it meant paging the doctors.
During our time with Michelle, she not only got to know us and our family but allowed us to get to know hers as well. She informed us about a recent procedure that her husband had endured and allowed us to pray for her and her family through their difficult time as well. When my wife was rushed back for an emergent repeat surgery, Michelle was the one that called me before even my family could, to inform me of what was happening. It was also her that brought me back immediately upon her return to the unit to help to calm my wife and ensure that she was alright. Even after my wife's repeat surgery when she was "less than appreciative" for the excellent care she was receiving, Michelle still kept a smile on her face and continued tending to what needed to be done.
When the storm cleared and Michelle was able to return to her family and home, she made a point to come back to our room to encourage my wife and give us both a big hug. She went above and beyond in absolutely every aspect, even providing me with a warm blanket, socks, and a dryer when I was forced to run outside in the middle of the rain to check on vehicles. Michelle was not only there to treat and care for my wife, she was caring for us all. Her smile and positive attitude brought an entirely different atmosphere to our room just by her walking into it.
Our nurse through most of the nights has been Kate Knight, and I'm honestly not sure I can put into words just how much she has meant to my family throughout this ordeal so far. Once the storm cleared I've been forced to work extended hours through the day and have been away from my wife other than at night. The first thing I have seen coming through the ICU doors each night is a smile from Kate and her taking the time to ask how my day was. She will then take a few minutes and fill me in on each and everything that has happened during the day with my wife so that I'm not left out in the dark. Step by step she would guide me through the reasoning for each test and procedure and explain the logic behind the doctor's decisions on what it is they are doing next. With a greeting like that each night it's almost as if I was there all day to witness it firsthand.
Several days into my wife's stay it was deemed necessary to perform a ventriculostomy, even though I was confused and scared as to what that really was, Kate was there to calm my nerves and explain it in a way that was easier for me to understand. After the procedure was complete, Kate rushed out to the waiting area to let me know it was complete and that my wife was perfectly fine. Later that evening my wife was getting frustrated by her hair flowing everywhere and it was Kate that took the few minutes to sit with her to braid her hair so that it was out of the way and more comfortable.
My wife being a SICU nurse at another facility tends to have a slightly skewed sense of humor and asked Kate if she would help her to name the hole in the top of her head. After a short giggle stint, they began to brainstorm and pass names back and forth. Every time Kate would walk by the room she would stick her head in with another goofy name to help my wife relax and laugh.
One evening I was working especially late and I walked into the room to find Kate giving my wife a quick massage as her shoulder blades had been cramping up on her. Kate took the time to get to know our family and allowed us to get to know her and her background as well allowing us to welcome her in as a part of our extended family.
Just the other morning I woke up to leave for work, as I did I noticed a bag and note sitting on the table that had a strand of braided hair inside it. Upon closer examination and reading the note, Kate had saved the strand of hair that was shaved from my wife's head and actually braided it for us. While I do not remember the exact wording on the note at this time, I do remember it bringing tears to my eyes and also to my wife's as I read it aloud to her. It's the little things that get added up and completely blow us away at the level of care and love that Kate has shown for our family during this time.
This would be impressive enough, however, this all took place while the hospital and staff were in "disaster mode" during Hurricane Harvey. Being able to continually have this type of presence in the ICU coupled with the stress of a storm blowing through town and frustration of having to stay at the hospital day and night was absolutely remarkable to me. Michelle and Kate are truly two fine models of what all nurses should strive to achieve and hospitals should recognize and reward for. Without having the two of them on our team and by our side through this endeavor, I'm not quite sure just how we would have managed to make it this far. We still have a long road ahead of us and will remain in the ICU for several more days, but knowing that Michelle and Kate will be there with us brings comfort to our family.