There is much relative routine activity that takes place in everyday medical practice, and that may frequently be overlooked when moments arrive for individual staff recognition. Nevertheless, it is the attention given to these details that can prove quite impactful for patient well-being. Such has been the case with service provided by pediatric dialysis nurse Kim Pettit, of which my son has been the beneficiary for the past three-plus years.

A principal element of day-to-day interactions with pediatric dialysis patients is the ability to provide a cheerful supportive environment. Kim has excelled in this throughout her time collaborating with him. It is so much an integral characteristic of her relations with patients in general, that she has mentioned to me on several occasions that he has even become like a son to her. On a technical level, by happenstance, his dialysis fistula is anatomically more difficult for needle access than many. Kim has mastered the technique needed for its unique positioning, to the point where he is now extremely comfortable with her doing the insertion, and no longer anxious about attending treatments.

Given daily dialysis routines, nurse schedules can become quite busy. Despite this, whenever I call the unit, she always arranges for plenty of time to update me about his medical condition. There are several specific examples that could be mentioned to commend the overall exemplary nature of her care; I will focus on only two among those that affirm her considerable compassion.

This past year my son experienced an acute event requiring inpatient hospitalization. As a part of the process, he spent a few hours in the Emergency Department, while doctors evaluated his status. The evaluation created a long delay in the day’s scheduling. Kim waited patiently the several hours until he finished in the Emergency Department before beginning his regular dialysis treatments. Following the dialysis, she then assured that he was appropriately settled for the night in his inpatient setting, before finally returning home. Her usual twelve-hour day of intense technical activity thus became an even longer sixteen hours.

The second testimonial came a few weeks ago when he had a change in his hospital pickup arrangement. The transport was scheduled for 5:30, at the end of Kim’s workday. She, therefore, accompanied him to the outside hospital entrance, to be certain he would locate his new service. As misfortune would have it, the ride arrived 1½ hours late; nonetheless, she sat quietly with him the entire time in the midst of traffic congestion on a 90-degree day, until both were finally able to leave for home.

To summarize, she has been always present when my son has needed her personal attention, always kind and cheerful. It may appear to be conjuring up images from an old cliché, but it really is true for Kim that exceptional actions have become a regular part of her everyday routine.

This is Kimberly's 2nd DAISY Award!