Hannah Pakenham
October 2023
Hannah
Pakenham
,
RN, BSN, CCRN
PICU
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite
Atlanta
,
GA
United States
On her day off, Hannah took both of her children to the consulate to drop off the letter and find out what additional paperwork was needed to get this family from Guatemala to the U.S. This nurse, with the help of an interpreter, has ensured that the mother stays up to date with information received from the consulate.
I am thrilled to introduce you to my friend and coworker, who embodies the values, passion and characteristics of a DAISY Nurse. She started her career as a secretary in the PICU at Egleston before transitioning to her nursing role in the Scottish Rite PICU. She constantly acts as a resource, role model, and great pod mate to every nurse she works with. There is no one who would help with a spa bath or get your patient on the sling scale quicker than her. Not only is she an outstanding nurse who strives to be the best co-worker, but she advocates above and beyond for her patients and families.
I have never met a person who can get to know a mom or family's life story as quickly as her. She is a nurse who not only cares for her patients but makes it a priority to care for the family members. She epitomizes what family-centered care should look like. She hears the needs of families and not only listens and empathizes but does everything in her power to fulfill those needs. This nurse has sat with moms learning how to pump, she has cared for and gotten a mom medical help when necessary, and she makes sure if a mom is alone, she has as much support that CHOA can offer her. I could give hundreds of examples of how she truly goes above and beyond when it comes to her patients and her families.
Most recently, this nurse helped out a family in an unthinkable way. Being in the hospital is scary, let alone when English is not your primary language. We had a family whose daughter went through a tragic AVM rupture that left her immobilized, nonverbal, and needing major rehabilitation. As if this tragedy wasn't enough, the patient's mom was fighting metastatic breast cancer. The mom, with two other children at home, has very little support in the U.S., and her mother (the patient's grandmother) and the patient's father are in Guatemala. The patient's mother confided in this nurse that getting her mother here to the U.S. would be the most significant help to their current challenging situation.
Hearing this information, this nurse leaped into action and contacted all the necessary people to see what we could do to get support for the mom's health and assistance for rehab. Once she spoke to our social worker, she figured out a letter would need to be taken to the Guatemalan consulate on behalf of the family. The mother has been at the hospital every day fasting and praying and refused to leave her daughter alone to take this essential letter to the consulate. Without hesitation, this nurse offered to take the letter for her. On her day off, she took both of her children to the consulate to drop off the letter and find out what additional paperwork was needed to get this family from Guatemala to the U.S. This nurse, with the help of an interpreter, has ensured that the mother stays up to date with information received from the consulate.
She has faxed letters, sent emails, and gotten doctor signatures - all to make this possible for this mother who is sacrificing her own health to advocate for her daughter. She has spent a significant amount of time inside and outside of the hospital talking with this mom (with the interpreter), supporting, empathizing, and learning about her family’s needs.
By sacrificing time and energy out of her own day, she truly is changing the lives of this family. What sets this nurse apart is that this behavior is just her nature, she doesn't see it as anything extra or special. She believes this is how we show love to our patients and take care of them - by doing everything we can for them.
This is truly only one brief instance of how this nurse acts so selflessly and is constantly listening and responding to the family's needs. I am honored, humbled, and grateful to call her a friend and co-worker. The PICU is a better place because of her, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of a DAISY Award than Hannah.
I have never met a person who can get to know a mom or family's life story as quickly as her. She is a nurse who not only cares for her patients but makes it a priority to care for the family members. She epitomizes what family-centered care should look like. She hears the needs of families and not only listens and empathizes but does everything in her power to fulfill those needs. This nurse has sat with moms learning how to pump, she has cared for and gotten a mom medical help when necessary, and she makes sure if a mom is alone, she has as much support that CHOA can offer her. I could give hundreds of examples of how she truly goes above and beyond when it comes to her patients and her families.
Most recently, this nurse helped out a family in an unthinkable way. Being in the hospital is scary, let alone when English is not your primary language. We had a family whose daughter went through a tragic AVM rupture that left her immobilized, nonverbal, and needing major rehabilitation. As if this tragedy wasn't enough, the patient's mom was fighting metastatic breast cancer. The mom, with two other children at home, has very little support in the U.S., and her mother (the patient's grandmother) and the patient's father are in Guatemala. The patient's mother confided in this nurse that getting her mother here to the U.S. would be the most significant help to their current challenging situation.
Hearing this information, this nurse leaped into action and contacted all the necessary people to see what we could do to get support for the mom's health and assistance for rehab. Once she spoke to our social worker, she figured out a letter would need to be taken to the Guatemalan consulate on behalf of the family. The mother has been at the hospital every day fasting and praying and refused to leave her daughter alone to take this essential letter to the consulate. Without hesitation, this nurse offered to take the letter for her. On her day off, she took both of her children to the consulate to drop off the letter and find out what additional paperwork was needed to get this family from Guatemala to the U.S. This nurse, with the help of an interpreter, has ensured that the mother stays up to date with information received from the consulate.
She has faxed letters, sent emails, and gotten doctor signatures - all to make this possible for this mother who is sacrificing her own health to advocate for her daughter. She has spent a significant amount of time inside and outside of the hospital talking with this mom (with the interpreter), supporting, empathizing, and learning about her family’s needs.
By sacrificing time and energy out of her own day, she truly is changing the lives of this family. What sets this nurse apart is that this behavior is just her nature, she doesn't see it as anything extra or special. She believes this is how we show love to our patients and take care of them - by doing everything we can for them.
This is truly only one brief instance of how this nurse acts so selflessly and is constantly listening and responding to the family's needs. I am honored, humbled, and grateful to call her a friend and co-worker. The PICU is a better place because of her, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of a DAISY Award than Hannah.