August 2014
Kathy
Vandever
,
BSN, RNC-NIC
NICU
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
Chicago
,
IL
United States
Kathy shows extraordinary amounts of dedication, Compassion, and care to all families that are in the NICU, but with one family in particular she was able to make a huge difference.
Kathy took care of this patient and family for about 6 months during his long stay in the NICU. He was born extremely premature, and initially had a smooth course. He did require mechanical ventilation for a little while when he was first born, and then he was able to extubated and started the normal progression of a growing premature infant. However, his course would not be normal. He suffered from a devastating infection, and required resuscitation, and for several days had limitation of emergency treatment orders. During this time he suffered overwhelming neurologic consequences. He would ultimately require a tracheostomy, a g-tube, and long term ventilator care. Throughout his hospital stay Kathy was his primary nurse.
The family lived hours away from the hospital and had other children at home. Kathy worked with social work to find housing for them to stay close to the hospital when he was critically ill. She developed a close relationship with the patents and would often make sure to schedule care conferences far in advance so that she could be present for important decisions, and support the family through the process.
When he came back from surgery with his tracheostomy Kathy knew that his family would ultimately be the ones who would care for him so she set to work right away. She had his mother doing the care for the trach shortly after surgery and by the time he left the NICU his mother could do the trach care as well as any nurse on the unit. He was eventually transferred to a facility that was a stepping stone between going home and the hospital. Kathy ensured the transfer would happen on her day to work and prepared everything for the transfer.
To go even further, Kathy and another primary nurse threw a party for him and his family prior to being transferred. The relationship Kathy formed with this family and this patient went above and beyond the normal expectations. She was an advocate everyday she came to work to make sure this child had the best possible chance for success.
Kathy took care of this patient and family for about 6 months during his long stay in the NICU. He was born extremely premature, and initially had a smooth course. He did require mechanical ventilation for a little while when he was first born, and then he was able to extubated and started the normal progression of a growing premature infant. However, his course would not be normal. He suffered from a devastating infection, and required resuscitation, and for several days had limitation of emergency treatment orders. During this time he suffered overwhelming neurologic consequences. He would ultimately require a tracheostomy, a g-tube, and long term ventilator care. Throughout his hospital stay Kathy was his primary nurse.
The family lived hours away from the hospital and had other children at home. Kathy worked with social work to find housing for them to stay close to the hospital when he was critically ill. She developed a close relationship with the patents and would often make sure to schedule care conferences far in advance so that she could be present for important decisions, and support the family through the process.
When he came back from surgery with his tracheostomy Kathy knew that his family would ultimately be the ones who would care for him so she set to work right away. She had his mother doing the care for the trach shortly after surgery and by the time he left the NICU his mother could do the trach care as well as any nurse on the unit. He was eventually transferred to a facility that was a stepping stone between going home and the hospital. Kathy ensured the transfer would happen on her day to work and prepared everything for the transfer.
To go even further, Kathy and another primary nurse threw a party for him and his family prior to being transferred. The relationship Kathy formed with this family and this patient went above and beyond the normal expectations. She was an advocate everyday she came to work to make sure this child had the best possible chance for success.