I am writing regarding our recent experience in the emergency department. My husband was transported there for indeterminate cause, just not feeling well. After arriving there, he coded twice with the second time resulting in his death; cause of death being cardiorespiratory faiure.
His nurse while there was Kati Thornton, and his attending physician was Dr. J. From the time we arrived the care he received was exceptional and extremely forthcoming. I have a little insight into the workings of an emergency department, as our daughter is an ER nurse in Colorado and has been for over 20 years. I know the extreme conditions they are sometimes faced with during patient care. Ours could not have been any better.
I especially want you to know the more personal aspect of that care to both patient and family. When my husband was coding for the second time and I was pretty sure of the outcome but wanted to talk to my daughter, I called her on my cell phone, asked Dr. J. to explain what had been done to that point and was being done. He so graciously talked with our daughter and, of course, she was more than familiar with everything he told her and could help me to understand even more thoroughly. He stood with his arm around me while talking to her giving her that information and answering questions for me and her.
After my husband died, Dr. J. was most attentive to me and made sure if I needed anything while I was waiting for our son to arrive from St. Petersburg. Kati, my husband's nurse, also showed exceptional care and concern towards me, assuring me to take my time and stay as long as I needed. She also helped by calling the funeral home and arranging that for us. I told her I did not want to leave my husband until our son arrived and again she told me to take all the time I needed. This was of immeasurable comfort to me while also awaiting the arrival of friends to be with me until our son arrived.
Aside from their professional care for my husband, their concern, and care for us, the family, both here and on the phone, or in route, was paramount in helping to get through the most difficult day. I cannot sing their praises enough and wanted you to know the type of people working in a sometimes selfless and probably even unthankful atmosphere with human nature being what it can sometimes be when people face difficulty and pain.
Everyone we encountered that day from maintenance, lab tech, x-ray tech, nursing, physician and any other who provided service I am not even aware of, was of superb quality. Through the years we have always had only positive experiences with the hospital whatever need we had, but this particular and extremely difficult day will be remembered in such a way by the care and concern shown to us. Thank you.
*** This is Kati's 2nd DAISY Award! ***