May 2020
Katherine
Irizarry
,
BSN, RN
Employee Health and Emergency Department
LewisGale Hospital - Montgomery
Kat made me feel calm and that everything was ok. I do not think she did this because I work here, I think she is a genuinely caring person.
My son was in the ED as a psych hold. Being an employee at this facility makes it especially difficult due to the stigma attached to mental illness. Kat sensed my anxiety, she went above and beyond to communicate with my son on a level he enjoyed. She gave him puzzles to work on and did her best to keep him entertained. I was especially anxious and tearful. Kat continued to reassure me, "What goes on here, stays here." Kat hugged me and made me feel like I wasn't completely alone as if I were family. Having a child with behavioral health issues is stressful enough, let alone having to bring him into where you work, which is a nightmare I never wanted to come true. She made me feel calm and that everything was ok. I do not think she did this because I work here, I think she is a genuinely caring person. Working in the ED could pose its challenges to make a connection with family or patients but this was no challenge for her, and she was amazing. I'm so grateful for her, she made this stay change from being a nightmare to being relieved with the decision to bring my son to the ED and she deserves recognition.