March 2013
Kathleen
Schenkel
,
MSN, RN, CPEN
Emergency Department
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Pittsburgh
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

I would like to nominate Kathleen Schenkel, APN in the ED for the DAISY Award. Kathleen is a quiet, unassuming, "get it done" person in the ED. She provides assistance to all the staff and mentors them in a positive supportive manner.

On this one day I noticed Kathleen pushing an empty wheelchair with the head of facilities. I asked her what was going on and she told me a very active older volunteer had become light headed and not feeling well in the central facility plant and she was going over to assist him to the ED. I went about my day and I ran into Kathleen late in the day well after her shift was to have ended. I asked her why she was still here thinking the ED was probably quite busy. She casually informed me that the volunteer she brought to the ED was quite scared and had never been in a hospital setting before as a patient. She cared for his needs and assured him that we would take care of him. She went out of her way to make sure the attending and Presby Emergency Medicine doctors saw him, encouraging them not to transfer him to an adult facility if his medical needs were in our scope. She was an advocate for our long time volunteer and alleviated his fears by remaining with him his entire visit and facilitated his ability to remain at CHP for his care surrounded by his CHP 'family' and the people he was most comfortable helping him.

This is just one of the many ways Kathleen goes above and beyond for our patients, peers and families.