Many of us enter nursing with the desire to make a difference, striving for the opportunity to impact a complete stranger's life for the better in some way or another. Being a bedside nurse can be difficult and much of the day-to-day hard work can go unnoticed. While it is often the grand gestures that receive recognition, I believe that the smaller day-to-day thoughtful and kind actions really make a difference on multiple levels. This nurse is a shining example of a nurse who goes above and beyond daily impacting the lives of her patients, as well as leading by example to new nurses who learn under her. As a fellow nurse, I have had the honor to learn from and work with her.

Kathryn is, and I don’t say this lightly because I have worked with some incredible nurses, the most compassionate nurse with whom I have ever worked. There are countless occasions that I have personally witnessed supporting my statement, but I want to tell you about a couple that profoundly touched my heart. I was lucky enough to be trained by this nurse as a CNR, and in the short 10 weeks of training, I knew she was the example of the nurse I wanted to become.

There was this time we had an elderly patient who was hospitalized while visiting the area from out of town. The spouse had been staying here at the hospital since the patient’s admission, and the patient was going to be with us for at least another few days. The spouse too was elderly, had no transportation, and was very unfamiliar with the area. So much so that taking a cab made the spouse nervous and uncomfortable. The spouse had run out of medication and was very worried about how to get more. A very compassionate nurse offered to drive our patient's spouse to St. Pete Beach when her 12-hour shift was over so the spouse could retrieve medication from the hotel where they had been staying. The spouse adamantly declined her offer and said it was too much. There had to be an easier way. At a time when nurses have ratios as high as six patients to every nurse, she took the time to take on more for an individual who wasn’t even a patient currently admitted. She phoned the spouse’s PCP and explained to them the situation. She was able to have him call in a prescription to our Publix downstairs so that the spouse could have enough medication for the remainder of our patient’s stay. This is just one incredible instance of how she exemplifies BayCare Values. She didn’t think for a second, "I am too busy to deal with this" or "This isn't my problem." She jumped in, saw someone in need, and acted

We don’t just take care of our patients, but we are the nurse to their families as well. Nursing care is inclusive and sometimes the patient families become more our patients than the patients themselves and it shines in this next example. As nurses, we have the responsibility to be there for our patient's loved ones when, unfortunately, medicine has done all it can, and the patient is out of options. The incredible nurse she is, Kathryn understands this and displays it more than anyone I know. She had a patient that was made a DNR and put on comfort measures only. The patient passed away with no family surrounding her, but Kathryn made it a point to be with the patient and hold her hand taking the time to ensure the patient was not alone. When she called the next of kin and explained that it was just a matter of time, the person stated she had no Transportation and that she had no options to get to the hospital to say goodbye. Kathryn paid for a cab to transport the patient’s relative from her home to the hospital and when she was done from the hospital to her home. The relative was able to say her goodbyes and hopefully left with some sort of peace from this very difficult situation.

I could write a book on the number of times she has gone above and beyond for her patients, their families, and her teammates. I hope this can be a wonderful light and example to fellow nurses on compassion at a very difficult time in life and healthcare. Because I know that is what she is to everyone she cares for.