Kerri was recognized by an 85-year-old patient's daughter for exhibiting true empathy, compassion, and clinical expertise while caring for her mother. The daughter stated that her mother has been living in an Alzheimer's unit and long term care for four years and has a complicated medical history. After a very long and difficult day in the Emergency Room, it was decided that her mother should be admitted for IV antibiotics and further evaluation of her heart.
Immediately upon arriving at the ACE Unit, Kerri greeted the patient and family and made sure the patient was comfortable and dry. In order to fully understand her patient's individual needs, Kerri asked questions to get a good picture of the patient's medical history, which was not present in the records from the ER visit.Kerri noticed some issues with the patient's blood sugar that had not been addressed in the confusion of the day and made sure they were taken care of. The daughter stated that she would not normally consider leaving her mother, who has limited mental faculties, alone in a hospital overnight, but after spending just a few hours with Kerri and the ACE team, she and her father were completely satisfied that her mother would be treated with excellent care, compassion, and understanding. She and her father were able to go home for some much needed rest that night. The daughter said, "Kerri is truly an excellent nurse and the recognition is much deserved!"
Kerri's clinical manager says Kerri is so personable that she is able to make a connection with patients even though she works at night when most patients are asleep. Not only that, but she is an excellent nurse who is vigilant in the care she gives. Kerri's peers describe her as friendly, very caring, responsible, and a very thorough team player.
Because of Kerri's compassionate and caring efforts, her patients experience a level of care that exemplifies the impact nurses have in creating an environment where patients and families feel at home.