Christy Gaskill (Pomeroy)
January 2021
Christy
Gaskill (Pomeroy)
,
BSN, RN, CPN, CCRN
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Children’s National Hospital
Washington
,
DC
United States
Christy spearheaded an outdoor, socially distanced weekend wedding for longtime PICU parents.
Christy’s skill and especially her compassionate care exemplify the kind of nurse that our patients, their families, and our staff recognize universally as an outstanding role model. There are countless examples of Christy going above and beyond, this past year in particular, but I would like to highlight a few for the committee.
Since March, Christy has altered her working hours and days to be physically present on all shifts. She did this immediately on recognizing the need for additional leadership support for staff on-site during the pandemic, and has maintained this schedule throughout, all while (like so many!) simultaneously managing her young daughter’s online schooling. Multiple unsolicited comments in PICU staff annual check-ins for this past year validated just how much this effort has meant to her friends and colleagues.
In the Fall, Christy spearheaded an outdoor, socially-distanced weekend wedding for longtime PICU parents who fervently wished to get married before their child with a terminal illness passed away. This event was truly extraordinary, featuring beautiful decorations, catered food, and (their #1 request- knowing photos would soon represent once-in-a-lifetime memories) a professional photographer. This sweet PICU patient and her family’s wish came true largely because of Christy and team’s dedication and determination to make it happen.
More recently, the parent of a PICU patient battling COVID-19, who is himself diabetic, requested a refrigerator in the room for his drinks and food. This parent understandably would not leave his critically ill child and had no way to obtain clothes from home for himself, as his wife was also an inpatient at the same time in the ICU of an adult hospital. While we sought additional resources on-site, I found out that Christy had already quietly gone to the store on her way in to work and provided clothes for this father using her personal funds. I also encountered her defrosting the refrigerator from her office to disinfect and provide for the family as requested; in an extraordinary show of teamwork, that step proved unnecessary only because her PICU colleague had already provided his! Christy sought no recognition for these acts of kindness; she simply saw a need and sought to fill it. The PICU team is amazingly strong in large part because of Christy’s leadership.
Since March, Christy has altered her working hours and days to be physically present on all shifts. She did this immediately on recognizing the need for additional leadership support for staff on-site during the pandemic, and has maintained this schedule throughout, all while (like so many!) simultaneously managing her young daughter’s online schooling. Multiple unsolicited comments in PICU staff annual check-ins for this past year validated just how much this effort has meant to her friends and colleagues.
In the Fall, Christy spearheaded an outdoor, socially-distanced weekend wedding for longtime PICU parents who fervently wished to get married before their child with a terminal illness passed away. This event was truly extraordinary, featuring beautiful decorations, catered food, and (their #1 request- knowing photos would soon represent once-in-a-lifetime memories) a professional photographer. This sweet PICU patient and her family’s wish came true largely because of Christy and team’s dedication and determination to make it happen.
More recently, the parent of a PICU patient battling COVID-19, who is himself diabetic, requested a refrigerator in the room for his drinks and food. This parent understandably would not leave his critically ill child and had no way to obtain clothes from home for himself, as his wife was also an inpatient at the same time in the ICU of an adult hospital. While we sought additional resources on-site, I found out that Christy had already quietly gone to the store on her way in to work and provided clothes for this father using her personal funds. I also encountered her defrosting the refrigerator from her office to disinfect and provide for the family as requested; in an extraordinary show of teamwork, that step proved unnecessary only because her PICU colleague had already provided his! Christy sought no recognition for these acts of kindness; she simply saw a need and sought to fill it. The PICU team is amazingly strong in large part because of Christy’s leadership.