Kirsten Hanson has been an exceptional addition to the ambulatory pulmonary specialty practice. Kirsten joined us in early 2022 and came to us with extensive ambulatory nursing experience working with diverse patient populations. Although her pulmonary experience and knowledge were limited to primary care, her ambitioned kindness allowed her to assimilate quickly into the professional nursing practice here at UC Davis Health.

She has exceptional relational competencies that include maintaining a spirit of collaboration and compassion. She readily takes on any task needed or asked of her. For patient-centered care, she ensures that we meet patients where they are, and provide the resources and education needed for them to improve their quality of life. Kirsten was brought on board to case manage complex patients with interstitial lung disease with a caseload of 750 patients. This disease is not curable and through her dedication, she is committed to ensuring these patients have the timely treatment and care needed to support the highest quality of life.

She works closely with a small group of professional nurses and quickly became a vital member of their Advanced Lung Disease team. This group includes a team of nurses that manage patients with pulmonary hypertension. These patients tend to be more acute requiring extensive nursing involvement, including providing 24-hour calls on a rotational basis.

During an extended staffing crisis for this highly specialized nursing team spanning several months, Kirsten stepped in as a resource for the pulmonary hypertension nursing team. This had not been done before. This stretched her far beyond her original expected role. However, she grew into this role quickly. As we continue to navigate staffing challenges, she successfully continues to manage her interstitial lung disease patients while absorbing the additional responsibility of co-managing this high-acuity pulmonary hypertension patient population with grace and skill. The professional nurses in pulmonary hypertension have expressed how extraordinarily well she transitioned into this expanded role and have expressed how incredibly much she is valued and appreciated for taking this courageous leap.

Kirsten’s willingness to step beyond the expected in an enormous way makes her a DAISY Nurse. Where the Pulmonary Hypertension program could have resulted in poor outcomes due to the critical RN staffing, Kirsten rose to the occasion and made a critical impact on multiple specialties that rely on her professional nursing support. Her impact has been vital for patient safety in addition to the prevention of nurse burnout on behalf of her colleagues.