
Katelynn s Falter
October 2024
Katelynn s
Falter
,
RN
R4
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland
Portland
,
ME
United States
Due to her persistence, quick action, and determination to stay true to what she knew in her heart was the right thing, a code stroke was ultimately called, and the patient was able to receive appropriate treatment
Katelynn Falter consistently demonstrates the strength of character, compassion, and integrity in their actions on their patients' behalf. I have had the honor and privilege of working with the staff on R4 for the last three months, and one instance stands out as deserving of special recognition. A co-worker, Katelynn, working as a nurse in the IMC on R4, found herself in a situation that tested her character. She had a patient who was exhibiting clear signs of an acute stroke. Upon rapid recognition of these signs and symptoms, she quickly notified the covering provider and continued to do so when the response took longer than expected. Her instinct was to call a code stroke, and she told the covering provider as much; however, this provider did not seem concerned at the bedside and dismissed Katelynn's concerns. Not to be deterred, Katelynn sought collaboration with other members of the nursing team, who confirmed her initial assessment and helped insist that more be done for this patient. Due to her persistence, quick action, and determination to stay true to what she knew in her heart was the right thing, a code stroke was ultimately called, and the patient was able to receive appropriate treatment, including immediate transfer to a critical care unit. I don't know the ultimate outcome for this patient, but Katelynn acted with integrity in a difficult situation until an appropriate outcome was achieved. Her actions, despite pushback by the provider, were the appropriate actions to take, and her advocacy for this patient may very well have saved the patient's life. If that isn't worthy of recognition, I don't know what is.