Alex Kincaid
June 2025
Alex
Kincaid
,
RN
PICU
Riley Children's Health
Indianapolis
,
IN
United States
Alex is the light that I pray that every family in the PICU gets to experience on their darkest days.
I’ve had the opportunity to be a Patient Care Intern in the PICU for the last two months, after a little over a year in the PICU as a tech. I was fortunate enough to have Alex as my RN mentor during the month-long intensive program, where I was 1:1 with her.
If you asked me what kind of nurse I wanted to be two months ago, I probably would’ve said I wanted to be a compassionate and empathetic nurse with strong critical thinking skills. If you asked me today, I’d tell you that I want to be a nurse just like Alex. I have never met a person who is more deserving of a DAISY Award than Alex.
Alex and I spent our month-long intensive together, caring for the same two children most days. Alex was the primary RN for one of these children, who, fortunately, was able to eventually be discharged home with his family after a month of intense care in the PICU. Alex advocated for this patient and his family more times than I can count. She cared for the patient and his family with so much passion and empathy, and truly taught me what a difference the RN role can make in a patient's outcome. Even after this patient transferred to a different floor, Alex made sure to check in with the patient and his family, even the simplest things, like making sure his mom had eaten dinner.
Our other patient, however, was not so fortunate. Alex and I admitted this teenage child about 50 days ago, and within hours, she was helping with intubation and making sure the family had everything they needed during every caregiver's worst nightmare. For the next 50+ days, Alex advocated for the child and for his family, participating in care conferences and difficult conversations when appropriate.
Fast forward over a month, and I had the opportunity to sit with the patient's caregiver during one of her most difficult moments, when she decided she would make the child a DNR and would soon shift to comfort care. The caregiver mentioned to me that the only comfort she had was Alex and I, and that she desperately needed Alex during this child’s final days as she was her comfort. It was no question to Alex, and she immediately asked to become this patient's primary RN. The child was deaf, had lost his ability to communicate, and became ultimately unresponsive. It was nothing short of heartbreaking to be in the patient's room, let alone be his primary RN.
Alex’s decision to be this patient's primary RN during his final days is one of the most selfless decisions I’ve ever seen a healthcare professional make. She put her own emotional toll aside for weeks to be able to put her patient and his family first when they needed her most. Alex was undeniably the light that this family needed on their darkest days. From quickly getting to know this child and the silly YouTube videos he’d watch, his love for the Chiefs, learning about all of his favorite things, to now watching him lose his life was one of the most devastating things that I have ever been through as a healthcare worker and future RN. It truly changed my entire perspective on nursing and how much empathy and passion make a difference.
Alex was the breath of fresh air that I also so desperately needed, even when I knew how badly her heart was breaking as well. Every single day, she put on a smile and made sure she did everything she could to keep this child and his caregiver comfortable, while also taking time to teach me skills. Even on the days when I felt like everything was crashing down, she grounded me and always had the right thing to say.
There is no nurse like Alex. She has changed my life in ways she will never understand, even if it sounds dramatic. I will always remember the way she cared for him and his family in his final days. She made a world of difference for this patient and his caregiver. His caregiver would immediately light up (and sometimes, even physically jump up and down) when she knew that Alex was his nurse for the day. And truthfully, I would too. Alex was exactly what they needed, and exactly what I needed, as I also navigated my first loss of a patient, whom I had grown close to.
I could talk about how much love I have for Alex and how incredible of an RN and human she truly is, forever, even only a year and a half into her career. Alex is the light that I pray that every family in the PICU gets to experience on their darkest days.
If you asked me what kind of nurse I wanted to be two months ago, I probably would’ve said I wanted to be a compassionate and empathetic nurse with strong critical thinking skills. If you asked me today, I’d tell you that I want to be a nurse just like Alex. I have never met a person who is more deserving of a DAISY Award than Alex.
Alex and I spent our month-long intensive together, caring for the same two children most days. Alex was the primary RN for one of these children, who, fortunately, was able to eventually be discharged home with his family after a month of intense care in the PICU. Alex advocated for this patient and his family more times than I can count. She cared for the patient and his family with so much passion and empathy, and truly taught me what a difference the RN role can make in a patient's outcome. Even after this patient transferred to a different floor, Alex made sure to check in with the patient and his family, even the simplest things, like making sure his mom had eaten dinner.
Our other patient, however, was not so fortunate. Alex and I admitted this teenage child about 50 days ago, and within hours, she was helping with intubation and making sure the family had everything they needed during every caregiver's worst nightmare. For the next 50+ days, Alex advocated for the child and for his family, participating in care conferences and difficult conversations when appropriate.
Fast forward over a month, and I had the opportunity to sit with the patient's caregiver during one of her most difficult moments, when she decided she would make the child a DNR and would soon shift to comfort care. The caregiver mentioned to me that the only comfort she had was Alex and I, and that she desperately needed Alex during this child’s final days as she was her comfort. It was no question to Alex, and she immediately asked to become this patient's primary RN. The child was deaf, had lost his ability to communicate, and became ultimately unresponsive. It was nothing short of heartbreaking to be in the patient's room, let alone be his primary RN.
Alex’s decision to be this patient's primary RN during his final days is one of the most selfless decisions I’ve ever seen a healthcare professional make. She put her own emotional toll aside for weeks to be able to put her patient and his family first when they needed her most. Alex was undeniably the light that this family needed on their darkest days. From quickly getting to know this child and the silly YouTube videos he’d watch, his love for the Chiefs, learning about all of his favorite things, to now watching him lose his life was one of the most devastating things that I have ever been through as a healthcare worker and future RN. It truly changed my entire perspective on nursing and how much empathy and passion make a difference.
Alex was the breath of fresh air that I also so desperately needed, even when I knew how badly her heart was breaking as well. Every single day, she put on a smile and made sure she did everything she could to keep this child and his caregiver comfortable, while also taking time to teach me skills. Even on the days when I felt like everything was crashing down, she grounded me and always had the right thing to say.
There is no nurse like Alex. She has changed my life in ways she will never understand, even if it sounds dramatic. I will always remember the way she cared for him and his family in his final days. She made a world of difference for this patient and his caregiver. His caregiver would immediately light up (and sometimes, even physically jump up and down) when she knew that Alex was his nurse for the day. And truthfully, I would too. Alex was exactly what they needed, and exactly what I needed, as I also navigated my first loss of a patient, whom I had grown close to.
I could talk about how much love I have for Alex and how incredible of an RN and human she truly is, forever, even only a year and a half into her career. Alex is the light that I pray that every family in the PICU gets to experience on their darkest days.