My Gram was a very independent, healthy 75 year old until the day she was admitted to the Neuro ICU at St. Luke's. She had a fall at home, causing a broken hip. After being taken to our local ER, we learned her fall was likely due to a brain mass revealed on a CT scan and she was transferred to St. Luke's. Kristi was an instant "favorite" amongst my entire family. During the two weeks she spent in the Neuro ICU, Gram had the broken hip replaced and the brain tumor removed. She was intubated and extubated three times. She developed a clot which required a heparin drip and subsequently lead to a brain bleed. She underwent countless amounts of MRIs and other tests. She had multiple days of delirium prior to the craniotomy and limited functioning and communication following the surgery. During those days, seeing a smile or getting a hand squeeze felt like heaven. It seemed that Kristi never had trouble coaxing a smile out of Gram. Even when she couldn't say it, it was obvious that my Gram felt comfortable with Kristi as her nurse.

One specific example of the excellent care that Kristi provided was following an EEG. Knowing that our family would be coming to visit, Kristi took the time to wash and comb my Gram's hair before we arrived. She hated anyone seeing her without her hair done, so I can only imagine what that meant to her.

Kristi not only provided exceptional care to my Gram, but to my entire family. As a nurse, I can acknowledge that medical professionals can be quite a handful to deal with when we are placed in the "visitor" role. In addition to my own seemingly endless stream of questions, Kristi answered questions from the numerous other family members involved in my grandmother's care. Kristi took the time to explain every test, procedure and complication, tailoring answers to each of our level of understanding. We were constantly updated on the plan of care. Even though there is really no "right" thing to say in situations like the one we were in, it seemed like Kristi knew exactly what to say at all of those critical moments. Most notably, Kristi was Gram's nurse the day we decided to withdraw care. Gram had just come back from an MRI and it was quite clear that things had gone downhill. As I sat crying at my grandmother's bedside, Kristi came over and hugged me. She knew that it was exactly what I needed at that moment.

All of Kristi's actions while my Gram was her patient in the Neuro ICU would have been more than enough to earn her this award, but her compassion didn't end after my Gram was transferred out of the ICU. Kristi not only came to see how she was doing after moving to palliative care, she also came to my Gram's funeral. There are truly not words to describe how much that meant to our family. While I hugged her, I thanked her and told her that I knew nurses "don't do this for all of their patients," and her response was, "All patients aren't your grandma." Losing my Gram has been incredibly tough, but knowing she had a nurse who provided her with such exceptional care has provided our family with great comfort. The kindness and compassion Kristi showed to my Gram and our family will not soon be forgotten. Kristi demonstrated how important nursing is to the patient and family experience and what an impact a great nurse can make. She is more than deserving of this award.