Kristy Harner
March 2015
Kristy
Harner
,
BSN, RN, CCRN
Medical ICU
Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University
Columbus
,
OH
United States
I have witnessed Kristy Harner care for some of the sickest and most unstable patients that our unit has admitted. She does so with extraordinary skill and knowledge, as well as an uncanny intuition! I have also been fortunate to observe her incredible compassion and gentleness with our patients and their families.
Recently, I was caring for an elderly lady who had very few living family members, and even fewer visitors. Among the numerous diagnoses she had been assigned was the ever-debilitating label of dementia, complicated by severe hearing impairment, with no hearing aids. Much of the time that I cared for her, this sweet lady was somnolent and not communicative. When she did attempt to communicate, it was by yelling and moaning very loudly, which was frightening and worrisome for other patients, visitors to the unit, and staff. I was usually able to calm her by talking with her, at which time she would speak in a fairly intelligible manner.
Unfortunately, on the second night that I cared for her, talking with her wasn't helping. Her tone and volume escalated, and I was concerned that I would have to administer medications that were ordered for her by the physician, to help calm her. Just then, Kristy came into the room to see if she could be of assistance. She went to my patient's bedside, and spoke very calmly to her. Recognizing the scapulars clipped to her gown as an important religious article, Kristy and I discussed with the patient her faith, and asked her if she liked to pray. My patient responded in the affirmative. Kristy took out her cellphone, and started an application that she had downloaded. My patient could hear the priest and parishioners reciting The Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary prayer of the Catholic faith. She calmed. She listened intently as Kristy and I recited the prayers with the voices from the phone, and Kristy patiently, sweetly, gently stroked my patient's hair. I was moved to tears, grateful that my patient had found a moment of peace in the chaos that is a critical care unit. But then, another sound came, and I found myself speechless as I heard Kristy's voice mingling with the voice of my mostly non-verbal patient, reciting The Lord's Prayer in unison. It was a beautiful moment, in a quiet, darkened room, facilitated by a wonderfully caring nurse and coworker, Kristy Harner.
Recently, I was caring for an elderly lady who had very few living family members, and even fewer visitors. Among the numerous diagnoses she had been assigned was the ever-debilitating label of dementia, complicated by severe hearing impairment, with no hearing aids. Much of the time that I cared for her, this sweet lady was somnolent and not communicative. When she did attempt to communicate, it was by yelling and moaning very loudly, which was frightening and worrisome for other patients, visitors to the unit, and staff. I was usually able to calm her by talking with her, at which time she would speak in a fairly intelligible manner.
Unfortunately, on the second night that I cared for her, talking with her wasn't helping. Her tone and volume escalated, and I was concerned that I would have to administer medications that were ordered for her by the physician, to help calm her. Just then, Kristy came into the room to see if she could be of assistance. She went to my patient's bedside, and spoke very calmly to her. Recognizing the scapulars clipped to her gown as an important religious article, Kristy and I discussed with the patient her faith, and asked her if she liked to pray. My patient responded in the affirmative. Kristy took out her cellphone, and started an application that she had downloaded. My patient could hear the priest and parishioners reciting The Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary prayer of the Catholic faith. She calmed. She listened intently as Kristy and I recited the prayers with the voices from the phone, and Kristy patiently, sweetly, gently stroked my patient's hair. I was moved to tears, grateful that my patient had found a moment of peace in the chaos that is a critical care unit. But then, another sound came, and I found myself speechless as I heard Kristy's voice mingling with the voice of my mostly non-verbal patient, reciting The Lord's Prayer in unison. It was a beautiful moment, in a quiet, darkened room, facilitated by a wonderfully caring nurse and coworker, Kristy Harner.