Katelyn Olson
September 2024
Katelyn
Olson
,
RN
Float
Baxter Health
Mountain Home
,
AR
United States
Nurse Katelyn stood up for my Dad’s wishes and explained to the doctors he fully understood the situation, but he wanted to fight it head-on.
Our father was rushed by ambulance to Baxter Health for severe pain and lower extremity weakness. My father was very weak and has had several health complications from his cancer treatments. It was the solar eclipse weekend, and the hospital was very busy. Nurse Olson was so attentive to every little detail of my father. My father had aphasia and is very hard of hearing. As a family, she took her time to make sure he, my brother, and I understood everything going on and what to expect. We were given serious news with the choice of hospice or a serious high-risk surgery. Time was of the essence when making a decision. My Dad chose the high-risk surgery. I could tell the doctors did not want my Dad to make that choice. Nurse Katelyn stood up for my Dad’s wishes and explained to the doctors he fully understood the situation, but he wanted to fight it head-on. Things moved very quickly after that, but she helped keep a very stressful situation calm. At the end of her shift, she saw us trying to find the surgery waiting area. She took us on her own personal time to make sure we found the correct location. The next day, she found us and took her time to make sure we were at ease. Her attention to detail, bedside manner, and patient advocacy make her an excellent candidate for the DAISY Award.