July 2022
Kim
Coltrin
,
RN
Operating Room
Ascension Seton Hays
Kyle
,
TX
United States
Kim remained an advocate for my husband’s wishes while displaying empathy and compassion for me.
I was at work when I found out that my husband was in the ER. When I arrived, he was not in surgery yet. I had to go back to my house to take care of our fur babies, and while I was gone, he was being prepped for surgery. Kim was with him, going over the risks and what his personal wishes were. My husband told her that he did not consent to waking up with a colostomy bag. He said that he could not go through that again. During the surgery, at that moment, it did not appear that there was an alternative. Kim called me and told me what was going on. When I arrived, she told me that although he was woken up, he was still under the effects of anesthesia. His situation had become emergent, and this was a tough call. Kim remained an advocate for my husband’s wishes while displaying empathy and compassion for me. This statement should be emphasized and celebrated. This is the most important act that any nurse can perform, and this nurse did this masterfully and genuinely. In the end, my husband and I chose to go through the surgery again. We knew there was a risk of waking up with a colostomy bag, but miraculously he did not have to! The surgery was a success! Kim wouldn’t know the outcome as her shift was ending, and wouldn’t be back until the next weekend. As she walked me to the room, she said to me with warmth and concern, “I hope that both of you come out of this in the best way possible, and I will be thinking of you both all week!” Please tell Kim Coltrin that it was the best possible outcome, and we will always remember her.