Katie A Harris
September 2023
Katie A
Harris
,
BSN, RN
Medical Surgical Unit 7C
Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters
Norfolk
,
VA
United States

 

 

 

My son instantly connected with Katie. She was so positive and a ray of sunshine with inspiring messages to keep him going during an extremely difficult admission.
I cannot emphasize enough how deserving Katie Harris is of a DAISY Award. She is an exemplary nurse and showed such compassion for my son during his extended stay on 7C following an unexpected re-admission. We first met Katie at the tail end of a shift when the nurse taking care of my son had to leave for a family emergency. Katie put her fellow nursing team member first by allowing him the ability to leave by covering his patients. My son instantly connected with Katie. She was so positive and a ray of sunshine with inspiring messages to keep him going during an extremely difficult admission.

My son was excited to see that Katie was his nurse the next day. She tended to him with utmost care and gave him so much time and attention that he felt like her only patient. She continuously went above and beyond in taking care of him, as well as checking on me to see if I needed anything. She was attentive in maintaining his pain control, took time to learn about him as a person, and even made fun games out of activities such as walking to the bathroom.

We were lucky to have Katie as his nurse again the next day. When I told my son I thought we should nominate Katie for a DAISY Award, he emphatically agreed. Both my son and I were tearful when it was time for Katie to have her days off. We all gave each other hugs at the end of her shift with us, and my son asked to have a picture taken with her. While we did not want to be in the hospital longer than necessary, my son said he hoped he was still there on Friday because he knew Katie was coming back. Even though she was not our assigned nurse, she came to visit us and spent about 20 minutes just talking to us. When it was time for us to be discharged, she was the one who wheeled my son out.

7C is lucky to have a nurse of Katie’s caliber on the team. I am sure she treats all her patients the way she treated my son. Neither of us will ever forget Katie and the difference she made during our admission. We know she is an Extraordinary Nurse. By awarding her the DAISY Award, CHKD will be able to highlight how extraordinary Katie is to the rest of the nursing community. Thank you!