Katie Cox, BSN, RN
October 2020
Katie
Cox
,
BSN, RN
Emergency Department
Conway Regional Health System
Conway
,
AR
United States
Before I knew it, Katie had taken it upon herself to reach out to the staff for possible assistance with PTO or monetary donations. Six hours later, the money for her surgery was collected.
When you first hear about the DAISY Award, you often think about an outstanding story related to direct patient care. I have been thinking about if this meets the criteria, but I think outstanding nurses should be recognized for the great work they do, even when it isn't for that one standout patient story. I want to begin by saying healthcare workers are amazing. All of them. And for the ones who can stay on course and remember their why, they all deserve kudos every day they clock in and give of themselves physically and mentally to others. I want to say that if I could nominate my entire team, I totally would. They are the definition of family - dysfunctional at times, but full of grit and love, and truly they are the reason why I continue to do what I do. I would like to nominate one of my nurses on this outstanding team, though, for the overall leadership and growth that she has exhibited within the last several years.
When I think of a great nurse who can think critically, take care of sick patients, and hold her own in a room, she fits that for sure. But, even more so, she has pushed herself within the last several years to try to truly not get frustrated over the smaller details, to work on her "bark", to lead by example, and to overcome her anxiety about overstepping into leadership roles and truly excelling at them.
I could give you so many examples of how she exhibits these qualities, but I'll stick to a few. In my world, a charge nurse takes on exceptional extra responsibility to manage expectations of the shift, communicate with all team members, maintain patient flow, handle disgruntled patients, communicate with management about any obstacles or needs for the day, and problem solve with the best of them. Some days when you feel like there's only one of "me", and I'm failing/falling behind, it truly is a lifesaver to have someone sitting in that seat who handles things without being asked, takes initiative for things they truly don't have to, "owns" the leadership chair. This person doesn't eye roll, or sigh, when given another issue for the day, is asked to start covering a call-in for the shift, or has to work short. She takes it upon herself to check with BioMed, call supply for needed items, check with the buyers on back-ordered equipment or supplies, and then updates me later.
On a fairly difficult day, I went out to the department to start working on where our curtains had disappeared to, and was greeted with a full update from her. Sound small? Sure, but so helpful. I didn't ask her to do that. She took it upon herself just to check on it. Because this is her department. She wants it to be great and she has truly evolved into an exceptional manager and leader for her team. But that was helping me and I sometimes am not very good at asking for help.
There are tons of these examples...little acts of helpfulness that she probably doesn't realize are taking one small thing off a filled plate. But the reason I decided to write this...we have a fellow family member who has unexpectedly had an accident and will require FMLA time. This family member (coworker) is stressed to the max over money at the holidays, being able to afford the required surgery, having to not give her grandkids the money she had set aside for them for Christmas because she will have to pay $850 for the surgery before it will get done. Katie cared for this teammate in the hospital (department) and then helped get her ready to go for follow-up care. She then communicated with me later that day and we discussed her major concerns, especially about finances. Before I knew it, Katie had taken it upon herself to reach out to the staff for possible assistance with PTO or monetary donations. Six hours later, the money for her surgery was collected. Let me stop and say that this is because of an amazing team of people. A team of giving, kind, compassionate people comprised of doctors, nurses, and techs who love their coworkers and gave their own money to help this coworker in a time of need and stress. But, it was Katie who took the initiative. She started the ball rolling. She had another patient care tech help her with communicating with staff. Then she came in on her day off the next day to take that money to the surgical clinic to pay the bill so the surgery could continue and so that this coworker could rest a little easier. She then took the paid receipt to this coworker as her "Christmas gift."
We often live and work in a thankless environment. I tell my people that you often have to find your own elements of gratitude because you may not always see gratitude in your day-to-day environment. But, we are ultimately responsible for our own happiness, our own attitudes, and our own "why." My entire team came together and my heart couldn't be more full or proud of them, and of this nurse, Katie, for her growth, her leadership, her acceptance of us pushing her to "uncomfortable" places to only excel and prove to herself what she truly can do. So I would love to see her given an award for the care she has provided to our patients, but also her peers. I am not sure many on our team know the small things she does daily that help this department function as a better place.
When I think of a great nurse who can think critically, take care of sick patients, and hold her own in a room, she fits that for sure. But, even more so, she has pushed herself within the last several years to try to truly not get frustrated over the smaller details, to work on her "bark", to lead by example, and to overcome her anxiety about overstepping into leadership roles and truly excelling at them.
I could give you so many examples of how she exhibits these qualities, but I'll stick to a few. In my world, a charge nurse takes on exceptional extra responsibility to manage expectations of the shift, communicate with all team members, maintain patient flow, handle disgruntled patients, communicate with management about any obstacles or needs for the day, and problem solve with the best of them. Some days when you feel like there's only one of "me", and I'm failing/falling behind, it truly is a lifesaver to have someone sitting in that seat who handles things without being asked, takes initiative for things they truly don't have to, "owns" the leadership chair. This person doesn't eye roll, or sigh, when given another issue for the day, is asked to start covering a call-in for the shift, or has to work short. She takes it upon herself to check with BioMed, call supply for needed items, check with the buyers on back-ordered equipment or supplies, and then updates me later.
On a fairly difficult day, I went out to the department to start working on where our curtains had disappeared to, and was greeted with a full update from her. Sound small? Sure, but so helpful. I didn't ask her to do that. She took it upon herself just to check on it. Because this is her department. She wants it to be great and she has truly evolved into an exceptional manager and leader for her team. But that was helping me and I sometimes am not very good at asking for help.
There are tons of these examples...little acts of helpfulness that she probably doesn't realize are taking one small thing off a filled plate. But the reason I decided to write this...we have a fellow family member who has unexpectedly had an accident and will require FMLA time. This family member (coworker) is stressed to the max over money at the holidays, being able to afford the required surgery, having to not give her grandkids the money she had set aside for them for Christmas because she will have to pay $850 for the surgery before it will get done. Katie cared for this teammate in the hospital (department) and then helped get her ready to go for follow-up care. She then communicated with me later that day and we discussed her major concerns, especially about finances. Before I knew it, Katie had taken it upon herself to reach out to the staff for possible assistance with PTO or monetary donations. Six hours later, the money for her surgery was collected. Let me stop and say that this is because of an amazing team of people. A team of giving, kind, compassionate people comprised of doctors, nurses, and techs who love their coworkers and gave their own money to help this coworker in a time of need and stress. But, it was Katie who took the initiative. She started the ball rolling. She had another patient care tech help her with communicating with staff. Then she came in on her day off the next day to take that money to the surgical clinic to pay the bill so the surgery could continue and so that this coworker could rest a little easier. She then took the paid receipt to this coworker as her "Christmas gift."
We often live and work in a thankless environment. I tell my people that you often have to find your own elements of gratitude because you may not always see gratitude in your day-to-day environment. But, we are ultimately responsible for our own happiness, our own attitudes, and our own "why." My entire team came together and my heart couldn't be more full or proud of them, and of this nurse, Katie, for her growth, her leadership, her acceptance of us pushing her to "uncomfortable" places to only excel and prove to herself what she truly can do. So I would love to see her given an award for the care she has provided to our patients, but also her peers. I am not sure many on our team know the small things she does daily that help this department function as a better place.