Where do we begin? Katie was our day shift nurse the day our sweet R was called home. It had been a long week with many highs and lows that landed us in the ICU. We didn't know how long our time would be, but our stay ended up being very brief.
Katie took care of R on Tuesday. From the time she came into the room, she was kind, caring, and communicative. Our family was so grateful that each decision she made was explained with tact and grace. Our family was waiting for one of R's sons to arrive from New Mexico. We knew our time was limited but Katie made it her personal mission to keep R alive until everyone had a chance to hug and kiss him.
Towards the end of the day, as R's blood pressure began to drop, Katie swiftly addressed the vital sign changes and gave a bolus and started pressors to help him fight a little longer to see his last son. Well, his son made it just in time. Thank you Katie for giving him that chance.
When we decided to move to comfort care, Katie was just as compassionate and caring as she had been the entire day. She came in and explained that her goal was to keep R comfortable. She gave him medication for comfort and asked us which oxygen we thought he was most comfortable with. She spoke to him, calling him "buddy" as she adjusted his mask and told him that we wanted him to be "comfy". She covered him in warm blankets to keep his feet warm and brought a beautiful knit blanket that we could lay over him and take with us.
After he passed away she gave us all the time we needed to grieve and say goodbye. She expressed her sympathies and spoke in such a calming and kind voice as she gathered his rings and blankets. Katie is a true DAISY Nurse for exhibiting excellence in patient care but even more so in her care of the family. She said she has only worked in the ICU for 3 years, but we are confident that one day, she will be leading that unit.