Amanda Killen
July 2019
Amanda
Killen
,
RN
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center
Glendale
,
AZ
United States
Amanda came to work on a day that we had withdrawn care on a 7-day old patient. She offered to get molds for the family, she took pictures of the baby and the family, she spoke in-depth with the family during an unimaginably hard time. The patient wasn't her patient for the day, she did all of this as a bonus to her regular 12-hour shift spread throughout all pediatric departments. It comforted the family knowing that she would personally be with the baby every single moment after the parents left. She bathed the patient, walked him down to the morgue and advocated for him even beyond his earthly life. The molds and pictures that she did will be some of the only mementos this family has since their baby was hospitalized at only 3 days old.
Her willingness to suffer in the sadness with these parents made it so they knew she cared about their son and were comfortable knowing that she would be with him after they left the hospital. Her vulnerability showed the family that as nurses we don't just do our job and leave. Each patient takes a little bit of our hearts with them when they leave us. In a tough time, her caring nature and attention to detail ensured that the parents of this sweet boy would be at peace knowing that as a staff we did everything we could to give them and their son a meaningful and peaceful goodbye.
She had to finish the rest of her day, seeing multiple patients and families and be able to care for them all the same as she would any other day. She deserves to know that her work doesn't go unnoticed since she works in a role that she doesn't usually spend days bedside with the same patient as the rest of us nurses do. That doesn't stop her from putting all of her heart into every patient she encounters, even though most of them are terrified of getting poked by a needle or in a critical situation. She's not always seen as the light that she truly is. The SWAT nurse role is absolutely necessary for this hospital, but she takes her job to a new level with the amount of care she is able to give time and time again. Her courage is unmatched. Her love for the patients and career is something I look up to. Her ability to relate to everyone is something to envy. Daily she shows up and is the nurse I dreamt to be when I decided to become a pediatric nurse.
Her willingness to suffer in the sadness with these parents made it so they knew she cared about their son and were comfortable knowing that she would be with him after they left the hospital. Her vulnerability showed the family that as nurses we don't just do our job and leave. Each patient takes a little bit of our hearts with them when they leave us. In a tough time, her caring nature and attention to detail ensured that the parents of this sweet boy would be at peace knowing that as a staff we did everything we could to give them and their son a meaningful and peaceful goodbye.
She had to finish the rest of her day, seeing multiple patients and families and be able to care for them all the same as she would any other day. She deserves to know that her work doesn't go unnoticed since she works in a role that she doesn't usually spend days bedside with the same patient as the rest of us nurses do. That doesn't stop her from putting all of her heart into every patient she encounters, even though most of them are terrified of getting poked by a needle or in a critical situation. She's not always seen as the light that she truly is. The SWAT nurse role is absolutely necessary for this hospital, but she takes her job to a new level with the amount of care she is able to give time and time again. Her courage is unmatched. Her love for the patients and career is something I look up to. Her ability to relate to everyone is something to envy. Daily she shows up and is the nurse I dreamt to be when I decided to become a pediatric nurse.