Karen Ferreri is our clinical coordinator on Jefferson5 and the Respiratory Special Care Unit. We all are aware of how excellent she is at coordinating the unit's daily duties, and her special way of communicating with staff. Karen takes PRIDE in her work daily.

There is not just one situation with Karen; she demonstrates all PRIDE values in every situation. She exceeds in patience and compassion! She loves her job and she shows it by her smile and enthusiasm. Karen deserves to be acknowledged for her awesome nursing abilities and compassion.

The pride in her job and willingness to help anyone out demonstrates Karen's leadership skills. She knows the ins and outs of our department and uses this to help not only her patients but also co-workers.

Some things you can't teach and Karen possesses the true characteristic of compassion that she exhibits daily towards families and patients. Karen's passion for nursing, motivation and leadership skills push her co-workers to be the best nurses we can be every day. She is constantly commending others for their work and it is time to recognize and put her in the spotlight for all the hard work, dedication, love and care she puts into her career as a nurse and colleague.

Karen's knowledge of caring for our fragile population is something we can only gain with time and dedication. She is bright and a great problem solver. She isn't someone that comes to work and just puts in her time. Karen is dedicated to and genuinely loves her job. She goes the extra mile to assure success of our services and patient satisfaction.

More importantly, Karen makes a powerful, positive difference in the lives of our patients and their families. She is able to foresee potential problems and is proactive at dealing with them before they become an issue.

Last week I received report on an unstable patient who was admitted early that morning to our unit, and the doctors were considering the patient for a pericardial window procedure that day. Karen was informed about the patient during our interdisciplinary rounds in the morning and she recognized the severity of the situation right away based on the report I presented. We obtained a telemetry monitor for the patient; called the doctor, obtained orders, gave medications. The patient continued to deteriorate fast: her heart rate was sustaining an irregular rhythm (atrial flutter) at 170 bpm and her breathing was labored. I loved the way Karen supported me in my decisions throughout the situation and how she diplomatically offered her opinion. Professionally she went ahead and coordinated the care and the smooth transition of the patient with the other recipient unit and other interdisciplinary team members. In the meantime, Karen got involved and helped the doctors and me with the initiation and preparation of drips and IV cardiac medications. In addition to her clinical skills, Karen has excellent communication skills. Not only is she technically capable, she also has the people skills to explain to her patients what she is doing and why, helping them to be more comfortable. She spent most of her time at my patient's bedside hands on, doing vital signs, treating the patient and her family with respect and dignity by offering support and frequently updating them on the ongoing situation. This allowed me to care my other patients.

The patient remained calm and smiling throughout the whole ordeal. When finally transported, she said "I will miss you all, will you come and visit?" For me, that is the reward that fulfills my mission as a nurse every time. Karen went above and beyond her duties and made the difference in a patient's my situation showing excellence and professionalism at all times throughout the situation.