Kaitlynn Jackson, BSN, RN

A patient came to our ER who was extremely sick and required admission to our hospital for treatment. She was also exclusively breastfeeding her four-month-old baby. Because of the medications she had received and would continue to need during her hospitalization, she was unable to safely breastfeed her baby. To make matters even more difficult, her baby was not accepting formula. I witnessed Kaitlynn go above and beyond to advocate for this mother and her baby. She did everything she could to locate donor breast milk for the infant, but unfortunately, none was available. Kaitlynn understood that this was more than simply finding a source of nutrition for a baby; this was a frightened, sick mother who was suddenly unable to provide for her child in the way she normally did. Rather than simply accepting that there was nothing more she could do, Kaitlynn found another solution.

This is not the first act of kindness I have witnessed from Kaitlynn. She sees the person behind the patient and takes the time to recognize needs that may not always be written in a chart or included in a treatment plan.

What stood out to me most was that she never treated this situation as “not her problem.” She saw a mother who was sick, a baby who needed to eat, and a difficult situation that needed a solution, and she did everything within her power to help. Her actions reflect what compassionate healthcare should look like.