An older male came in during the very late-night hours of an evening. He had fallen and his wife had to assist him from the floor to a chair and called EMS. Once in the ED, he was provided care and was to be discharged home in the very early morning hours. It was determined by the care team that night/early morning that it would not be a safe discharge at that time. The gentleman and his wife both agreed that if they couldn't stay until 6 a.m., they wouldn't be able to assist the patient into the home because the wife could not transition him into the home safely by herself. So, they stayed until 6.

Kim was a previous TM of Winter Haven Hospital many years ago. She came back to Winter Haven Hospital through the SRO and has now made the decision to be a full-time Winter Haven Hospital/BayCare TM here in the very near future. Kim was part of that care team, ensuring that this patient would be discharged safely. When 6 a.m. arrived, Kim began to wheel the patient to their car and, upon arrival, noticed that they had a flat tire. The wife expressed that they did not have AAA or family they could call for help and was expressing extreme distress. Kim called her husband, who was at home in Bartow and had him come to the hospital and change their tire for them so that they could make it home safely.

"The character of the nurse is as important as the knowledge she possesses.” said the patient's family member. This is the type of compassion and heart that Kim has always shown toward these and many other patients. She is definitely a representation of BayCare Values and we are grateful that she will be returning back to us as our Team Member.