August 2013
Kenya
Wilson
,
RN
Pediatric ICU
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

The reason I want to nominate Kenya Wilson for the DAISY Award is because of a million reasons. I want to start out by saying that my 9 week old son, was transferred by your critical care team via ambulance on April 30th 2013. After 6 hours in another hospital's Emergency Department, a spinal tap, chest x-rays and a few attempts to secure an IV, we were admitted to the hospital. I knew my son was sick, I just didn't know how sick until the next morning we were told he was being transferred to CHOP.

I knew that CHOP is 'THE PLACE TO BE' if you have a sick child, so I knew I was in great hands even though this was a very scary and emotional time for us. The move to CHOP was seamless and we were admitted to a room immediately. A full team of Doctors and Nurses greeted us to evaluate my son. Once the Attending Doctor gave us the run down on just how sick our son was, it was not taken very well by my husband and me. Clearly we were upset beyond words.

The communication was stellar by both the Doctors and Nurses and I knew we were in the best care. I liked the fact that the Doctors and Nurses all discussed the next steps on my son's care together, as a team and included me in on all the conversations daily. In the 8 days we were at CHOP, 4 of those days were covered by Kenya Wilson, one of the PICU Nurses. Instantly I knew she was a special person.

I do feel that being a PICU Nurse requires a special type of Nurse, something that not all Nurses have. Kenya has the personality to engage and talk with my 9 week old and she had the communication towards me that I needed. She was sweet and caring and took her job very seriously. She communicated with me everything she was doing to care for my son, let me participate in my son's day to day care of items that I was allowed to (bathing, diaper changing, etc.) She knew I wanted to participate in anything and everything that I could. She went above and beyond by helping keep me calm, asking if I needed anything.

She was a Saint to me in those difficult days and for my son and our family and when I saw the signs in the hallways about nominations for the DAISY Award, I instantly thought of her. She left a lasting impression on me and I will never forget her.