We had a young girl who was killed by a gunshot early Saturday morning. The parents were Hispanic and did not speak English. After they were told that their daughter had passed, the mother and father continued to hang out in the ED with the mother whaling in grief. After an hour, Kristi got the interpreter computer and went out to speak with the parents. Apparently the father was trying to get her to leave, but in her grief she could not budge. Kristi got her to our fast track where she could be evaluated and given something to help with her grief. After they were seen and evaluated they continued to hang around. Kristi once again got the interpreter computer and took the social worker with her because she felt there was something they were not understanding.
This time she found that they were waiting for the body. When they were told that we could not release the body, Kristi was able to facilitate getting them to the morgue to view the body one last time.
Kristi recognized there was a problem and was willing to go the extra mile. She made sure when they were ready to go, that they understood what was going to happen. She dealt with them compassionately, and with the language barrier she used all her resources to help this parent in the initial shock of losing a child.
I am proud to be a co-worker of Kristi; she makes all of us look good. On behalf of these parents, thank you Kristi.