Too often, healthcare companies and corporations are viewed as organizations filled with cold and uncaring people.  That viewpoint carelessly overlooks the missions and goals of these organizations.  Most importantly, that viewpoint unfairly minimizes the positive impacts that medical staff have on patient care and healing.  These staff are trained professionals who are intelligent, comprehensive, ethical, and efficient in their care for patients.  What they don’t have to be, but often are, is compassionate, kind, loving and sympathetic.

I think Katie Charbonneau is one of those people.

On Monday, my mother had been in the hospital for almost three weeks and, since day one, had been declining due to infection and dementia, Alzheimer’s, as well as other complicating factors.  After having been moved to the Progressive Care Unit on the 4th floor some number of days earlier, by that Monday it was clear that a decision had to made and thus, later that day she was moved to Community Hospice on the 7th floor.  We asked the PCU RN assigned to my mother on day shift, that before the transfer to hospice, my mother be allowed to see my father who was also in the hospital recovering from surgery.  
That message was passed to Katie and the charge nurse during shift change, a nurse from Palliative Care and to a nurse from Community Hospice.  This team made it happen that evening and my parents were reunited after six weeks of being apart.  I would have never known this had happened if it weren't for Katie.

While clearly it was a team effort, and all those involved are to be commended, it was one act from Katie that I think went above and beyond her duties.  Never having met Katie, I received a call from her that Monday evening, and she explained that they had indeed made it possible for my parents to see each other.  She stated that she thought they were a lovely couple, that she loved caring for my mother, and that she was able to get pictures of them together in my father’s room.  It would end up being their last pictures together, forever . . . . by the next evening, on Tuesday, my mother had passed.  When I told my father that she was gone, after some tears and hugs, he explained to me that the visit from my mother had allowed them to say good-bye, and that had given them both a measure of peace. I absolutely have no doubt that their meeting that evening allowed my mother to move on from the 61 years of caring for and loving her husband.

The actions of the team, but especially of Katie, comforted us the day my mother died and into the next day.  It comforted us knowing my parents had seen each other and were indeed at peace.  We would not have been comforted in this way without Katie's call . . . . Katie's call that demonstrated compassion, kindness, a love of nursing and, most especially, a love for those in her care.

Thank you, Katie, for all you do for our patients, families, and team members! You are a true DAISY Nurse.