Kate Cooley
January 2021
Kate
Cooley
,
BSN, RN, RNC-OB, C-EFM
Labor & Delivery
TriHealth, Bethesda North Hospital
Cincinnati
,
OH
United States
Kate has become a friend, a family member, a nurse who has forever changed my life and my daughter's.
I was just recently at Bethesda North Hospital for the delivery of my daughter. A little back-story: my husband and I struggled with infertility for five years, before finding out that we were pregnant with our daughter. The entire process with my daughter was scary and overwhelming. So, as you can imagine, when it came to giving birth to her, I was beyond scared and fearful something wrong would happen with my daughter. One morning I woke up to blood and the unknown of what was happening. I went to Bethesda North Hospital and was greeted from the start with compassion and understanding.
My husband and I were referred to go to the hospital. The doctor decided to keep me and induce labor, due to stress on my daughter and being past my due date. The triage unit transitioned me to the Labor and Delivery unit quickly and got me settled in. When I arrived at the unit, it was close to shift change. The night shift nurse let me know that she would get my nurse and introduce her to me.
That is when I met Kate. She came into the room and although being masked up, I could see her radiant smile through her mask. From the moment she walked through the door, I felt comfortable, safe, and that I was her number one priority. For the next couple of hours, she would make sure I was comfortable, answer my questions, and stay with me until I was okay for her to leave. Not only did she make sure that I was comfortable but she also made sure my husband was taken care of, fed, and worry-free.
I am a healthcare provider myself, and an educator for a critical care unit. I always expect top care from my staff. Not everyone was made to be a nurse, but when you find a nurse that truly gives their all 24/7 you have to be proud. I knew from the moment that she came in that my care would be top-notch. I would be the priority and that she would genuinely care for me.
One thing that made her stand out from the beginning was her constant attention. She listened to my needs, my worries, and my concerns. Never once did I feel like she wasn't listening or rushing to get out of the room. Many times, we get caught up in the task of being a nurse and do not take time to stop and listen. She listened every time. So much so, that she would spend over an hour in the room with me just listening. I tend to be an extremely introverted person but with her, I felt comfortable. So comfortable, that at one point my husband asked what kind of drugs they were giving me because I normally do not talk that much. During that 12-hour shift, she went from being my nurse to feeling more like family to me. I think that shows how incredible she truly is.
One would say that she did what is expected as a nurse. However, we all are working during a pandemic, being pushed to our limits, and mentally and physically dealing with it. Maybe one would expect it, but I do not see the love of nursing in most nurses, and her love for her career and patients shined through. That alone would make her a DAISY recipient. However, that’s not even the beginning of it.
I had become so comfortable with her, that my biggest fear was that she would be off shift when I would start my delivery process. We were getting close to shift change and I just kept telling her, I want you to be here, I cannot imagine you not being here. I looked at the clock and realized that it was 7 pm and that Kate's shift was over. I started to become anxious because now I would be pushing, with someone I didn't know. I started to push at 7:15 at night and sure enough, guess who was at my bedside, Kate. She stated she wanted to be with me also and that she would be staying for a little bit. She had just worked a 12-hour shift, yet she still was there, despite her shift being over. She never left my side except for one moment, when she told me she would clock out, and be right back. She clocked out, stayed with me, and was not getting paid. Talk about going above and beyond, who clocks out and still comes back to be with you? She did. I ended up delivering my daughter at 8:05 that night.
My daughter was quickly taken away from me after birth, for concerns about her breathing. On top of my daughter being taken away from me, I quickly found out that my delivery wasn't as smooth sailing as I thought and that they would be bringing multiple doctors in to attend to me. My husband was sent to be with my daughter, while I was being attended to.
I did not know what was going on with my daughter and my biggest fear had just become my reality. However, I continued to get updates on my daughter because I would look over and there would be Kate to give me an update on my daughter. She consoled my husband in a time of need and kept me calm by constantly switching back and forth between us. This whole process went on for over an hour and a half. I finally looked at the clock and realized that it was 9:45 pm and she was still with me. Who does that? At any point, she could have washed her hands clean of the situation and snuck out and left in the chaos. Instead, she stayed. She stayed not because they needed staffing or because she was getting paid. She stayed because I needed her and she promised me that she wouldn't leave my side. She isn't just a nurse, she is more than that. She might be the best nurse I have ever encountered, and I have been doing this for some time.
Bethesda North Hospital should know what an outstanding employee they have. She is truly a miracle in my life and has become more than just my Labor and Delivery Nurse. Kate has become a friend, a family member, a nurse who has forever changed my life and my daughter's. I have never nominated a nurse before for a DAISY Nomination because I believe it should be left for extraordinary nurses. That is exactly who she is. Extraordinary and beyond deserving of this award.
My husband and I were referred to go to the hospital. The doctor decided to keep me and induce labor, due to stress on my daughter and being past my due date. The triage unit transitioned me to the Labor and Delivery unit quickly and got me settled in. When I arrived at the unit, it was close to shift change. The night shift nurse let me know that she would get my nurse and introduce her to me.
That is when I met Kate. She came into the room and although being masked up, I could see her radiant smile through her mask. From the moment she walked through the door, I felt comfortable, safe, and that I was her number one priority. For the next couple of hours, she would make sure I was comfortable, answer my questions, and stay with me until I was okay for her to leave. Not only did she make sure that I was comfortable but she also made sure my husband was taken care of, fed, and worry-free.
I am a healthcare provider myself, and an educator for a critical care unit. I always expect top care from my staff. Not everyone was made to be a nurse, but when you find a nurse that truly gives their all 24/7 you have to be proud. I knew from the moment that she came in that my care would be top-notch. I would be the priority and that she would genuinely care for me.
One thing that made her stand out from the beginning was her constant attention. She listened to my needs, my worries, and my concerns. Never once did I feel like she wasn't listening or rushing to get out of the room. Many times, we get caught up in the task of being a nurse and do not take time to stop and listen. She listened every time. So much so, that she would spend over an hour in the room with me just listening. I tend to be an extremely introverted person but with her, I felt comfortable. So comfortable, that at one point my husband asked what kind of drugs they were giving me because I normally do not talk that much. During that 12-hour shift, she went from being my nurse to feeling more like family to me. I think that shows how incredible she truly is.
One would say that she did what is expected as a nurse. However, we all are working during a pandemic, being pushed to our limits, and mentally and physically dealing with it. Maybe one would expect it, but I do not see the love of nursing in most nurses, and her love for her career and patients shined through. That alone would make her a DAISY recipient. However, that’s not even the beginning of it.
I had become so comfortable with her, that my biggest fear was that she would be off shift when I would start my delivery process. We were getting close to shift change and I just kept telling her, I want you to be here, I cannot imagine you not being here. I looked at the clock and realized that it was 7 pm and that Kate's shift was over. I started to become anxious because now I would be pushing, with someone I didn't know. I started to push at 7:15 at night and sure enough, guess who was at my bedside, Kate. She stated she wanted to be with me also and that she would be staying for a little bit. She had just worked a 12-hour shift, yet she still was there, despite her shift being over. She never left my side except for one moment, when she told me she would clock out, and be right back. She clocked out, stayed with me, and was not getting paid. Talk about going above and beyond, who clocks out and still comes back to be with you? She did. I ended up delivering my daughter at 8:05 that night.
My daughter was quickly taken away from me after birth, for concerns about her breathing. On top of my daughter being taken away from me, I quickly found out that my delivery wasn't as smooth sailing as I thought and that they would be bringing multiple doctors in to attend to me. My husband was sent to be with my daughter, while I was being attended to.
I did not know what was going on with my daughter and my biggest fear had just become my reality. However, I continued to get updates on my daughter because I would look over and there would be Kate to give me an update on my daughter. She consoled my husband in a time of need and kept me calm by constantly switching back and forth between us. This whole process went on for over an hour and a half. I finally looked at the clock and realized that it was 9:45 pm and she was still with me. Who does that? At any point, she could have washed her hands clean of the situation and snuck out and left in the chaos. Instead, she stayed. She stayed not because they needed staffing or because she was getting paid. She stayed because I needed her and she promised me that she wouldn't leave my side. She isn't just a nurse, she is more than that. She might be the best nurse I have ever encountered, and I have been doing this for some time.
Bethesda North Hospital should know what an outstanding employee they have. She is truly a miracle in my life and has become more than just my Labor and Delivery Nurse. Kate has become a friend, a family member, a nurse who has forever changed my life and my daughter's. I have never nominated a nurse before for a DAISY Nomination because I believe it should be left for extraordinary nurses. That is exactly who she is. Extraordinary and beyond deserving of this award.