We came as a transfer from Whittier PIH, with our 13-year-old son. He broke his ankle, and the orthopedic specialists suggested to the medical staff at PIH that he be transferred to CHOC, as he would more than likely need surgery. When we arrived, they were preparing for a reduction procedure. They hoped it would be enough; if not, then it would mean surgery. After the procedure, they did a CT, but the specialists weren’t 100% on a decision, so they decided to admit us. By this point, it was 10 pm, and my son hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since 10 am. He was allowed to eat, but nothing past midnight in case he needed surgery. They also told us the main orthopedic surgeon would inform us in the morning what the plan would be.

We got a room around 2 am. The night nurse was great. But we met Kat, Katherine, at the morning shift change. She was super sweet and helpful. She came in often to check in on us if we needed anything. She worked diligently to try to find out what time our son could go to surgery. We asked Kat if she had any updates, and she did her best to call the people necessary to try to get some answers, but unfortunately, she got nothing. She felt horrible knowing my son still hadn’t had anything to eat or drink. After multiple attempts, she finally had some answers, around 2-2:30. The surgeon told her to have us taken down to Pre-op as they were moving forward with surgery. As you can imagine, we became very anxious. We had spent all day waiting to speak to the doctor to ask all the questions to ease our fears and concerns. They wanted us to move forward with the original plan all along. I expressed to her how frustrated and scared I was. She was so kind and empathetic. She heard me and understood where I was coming from; she validated my feelings. Which is a big deal, especially when you’re in such a vulnerable position. We are scared, worried parents trusting the doctors and putting our trust in them. She reached out to her charge nurse, who then reached out to the Customer Service liaison. She did what needed to be done for us to feel heard and seen. And it felt genuine and heartfelt. She encouraged us to ask all the questions we needed to feel confident in the surgery, to express our concerns.

Even after the surgery, once we were back in our room, she was checking in on us. She was the support we needed in a very difficult situation. She took care of us in every way she could. The remainder of our stay was great thanks to her. We stayed another night, and she was our nurse the next morning once again. It was very nice to have a familiar face who knew what we had just been through.
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Kat made my stay at the hospital more than wonderful. She helped me feel at ease and at home, and I felt like I made a new best friend. She went above and beyond with her care, making sure I had all I needed, and was always very prompt in getting me anything I asked for. She was also very good with the timing of my medications. I really loved and appreciated how she made me feel understood and always validated my feelings. During one experience, as I was getting an IV from the PICC team, I started to cry due to fear, and she kindly said, "You're doing so good, B, you're so strong." Her words of encouragement really helped me through that tough moment. At the end, she completely validated my pain and explained that she'd have the same reaction. Another memorable experience was when I was leaving the hospital, and she left me a kind note saying, "Take care." Her small gestures truly made my stay unforgettable, and I won't ever forget having her as my nurse. She was able to make me laugh and enjoy my stay at the hospital with her kindness and understanding, even when I was in the worst pain. She made all my anxiety about hospitals completely disappear.