kari zelenka, BSN, RN

Kari has recently been caring for a very ill patient who has been on our unit for an extended period of time and has encountered every possible roadblock on her way to recovery. Kari cares for this patient nearly every shift and has unfailing compassion for her family members. I have been nearby while Kari carried on a phone conversation with the patient's family and how they are coping and about the other events taking place in their lives. She did this out of pure empathy, asking thoughtful questions and even (playfully) demanding to see prom pictures to create a moment of joy and laughter in the midst of sadness. When she discovered that the patient and her husband would be unable to celebrate their anniversary due to her hospital stay, Kari went the extra mile and after work, that morning purchased a cake, ice cream, and a card for the patient to give her husband when he arrived to visit that day. In an environment where our patients are often temporarily stripped of dignity, control, and especially a truly positive quality of life, Kari effortlessly restores it in any small way that she can. A well-timed joke, a meaningful gesture, a few minutes of unhurried time to convey that someone is listening, and someone truly cares. If that's not extraordinary care, I don't know what is.