Allison Kemnitzer
November 2019
Allison
Kemnitzer
,
RN
ICU
Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin - Community Memorial Hospital
Menomonee Falls
,
WI
United States

 

 

 

Allison was helpful in making things comfortable while dealing with pain. She was always willing to take a minute to explain what needed to be done and why. She is a very special lady.
***
My father was admitted to the ICU in June of this year and placed on life support following cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, he did not survive, but I am grateful his remaining days were in the hands of the nurses in your ICU. All of the nurses in the ICU were professional, but one nurse, in particular, stands out above all of the rest and her name is Allison. She treated my father, myself, and my family will the utmost respect, empathy, and compassion. She went above and beyond to ensure my father was as comfortable and pain-free in the remaining hours of his life as possible.
When Allison entered the room at the beginning of her shift, she noticed my dad was sweating, his blood pressure was elevated, and he was struggling to breathe. She immediately took action, by calling the physicians for additional medication orders with no hesitation. I felt as though I had an additional request for her every time she entered the room and she always seemed happy to help.
At this particular moment in time no one could play God and bring my father "back to life", but all I wanted was for him to pass peacefully. With Allison's continued efforts, my father passed without struggling to breathe. When my dad finally passed, she entered the room with tears in her eyes (as she truly cared about how I was feeling at the time) and gave me a big hug. I work in the healthcare setting and my father had been in several hospitals prior to this particular day. Allison did not treat my father as just another patient and she did not treat me as just another patient's family member. She showed that she truly cared and she continually advocated for both of us. Most importantly, the very last moment I had with my father was peaceful and it will stay in my heart forever. Even after my father passed, Allison continued to go out of her way to get several handprints made for myself and my siblings to keep, that we will cherish forever. She also made sure each one of us received a Christmas ornament to remember my father by. If every hospital could have 100 nurses just like Allison, the world would be a better place.