Katrina T Ortiz
May 2025
Katrina T
Ortiz
,
BSN, RN
7B
LA General Medical Center
Los Angeles
,
CA
United States
I want to compliment my nurse assigned to me tonight, and her name is Ms. Katrina.
Not long after I finished my last chemo infusion, I started feeling some depression because my support system is zero. My family and close friends are all in other states, plus I live a single life and don’t socialize much due to fear of being hurt. So, all that goes to say I have no one to help me by my side as I go through this dark time for the second time. This was my same issue in 2021 when I first had this cancer, but tonight, as I was sitting here alone, realizing that I don’t have anyone I can call on and seeing that I’m once again in this dark cave with no one to turn to, I dropped two tears while asking myself just how much of me is really left. My father raised a good kid, and the world just screwed me over.
But back to what nurse Katrina did for me, that was, in my eyes, going above and beyond. When she first stepped into my room, she came in with the world’s biggest smile and the attitude, care, and compassion to match it. She asked me how I was doing and how I was feeling before asking anything else. She displayed the true meaning of what performing above her Hippocratic oath means. She treated me with so much professional care that it was clear what a nurse should be with her maternal actions and great heart.
She was a professional and could read a room and pretty much sense someone who is in pain. She springs in almost instinctually and puts her own personal problems in her life to the side and seeks to do everything humanly possible just to make someone else’s day just much better, one patient at a time.
Since I’ve been on the floor, it’s just something about those night nurses that just stick out above the rest, both male and female.
Last but not least, every time she came to my room for my vitals or checked my IV bags, her attitude never changed, and she actually treated me like a human. She chatted with me when she had the time about different cultural foods that are a must try, and when she needed to leave, she always said, “I need to run, I must go see other patients.” Then she would turn around and rush to see her next patient, doing the same exact thing for the following patient, going into their room just the same way she burst into my room, bringing nothing but happiness, joy, and hope.
Tonight, she and her twin partner, Nurse Loly, are both getting a compliment for performing above their job description when it matters the most.
Nurse Manager:
Katrina started as an RN I on 7B during the pandemic, which was a time of confusion and uncertainty for the unit staff. How lucky are we to have this nurse join our team and become a stabilizing force on the night shift?
She continued to grow and became a charge nurse on nights. Many of her team members have commented on this honoree's teamwork and how it positively influences the culture on the night shift.
In 2023, she received an "Honorable Mention" for the Nurse of the Year Award. Lastly, the kindness and empathy she demonstrates toward her patients and their family members have also received accolades.
It is my pleasure to present to you and the International Nursing Community our May 2025 Daisy Award Honoree, Katrina Ortiz, RN.
Not long after I finished my last chemo infusion, I started feeling some depression because my support system is zero. My family and close friends are all in other states, plus I live a single life and don’t socialize much due to fear of being hurt. So, all that goes to say I have no one to help me by my side as I go through this dark time for the second time. This was my same issue in 2021 when I first had this cancer, but tonight, as I was sitting here alone, realizing that I don’t have anyone I can call on and seeing that I’m once again in this dark cave with no one to turn to, I dropped two tears while asking myself just how much of me is really left. My father raised a good kid, and the world just screwed me over.
But back to what nurse Katrina did for me, that was, in my eyes, going above and beyond. When she first stepped into my room, she came in with the world’s biggest smile and the attitude, care, and compassion to match it. She asked me how I was doing and how I was feeling before asking anything else. She displayed the true meaning of what performing above her Hippocratic oath means. She treated me with so much professional care that it was clear what a nurse should be with her maternal actions and great heart.
She was a professional and could read a room and pretty much sense someone who is in pain. She springs in almost instinctually and puts her own personal problems in her life to the side and seeks to do everything humanly possible just to make someone else’s day just much better, one patient at a time.
Since I’ve been on the floor, it’s just something about those night nurses that just stick out above the rest, both male and female.
Last but not least, every time she came to my room for my vitals or checked my IV bags, her attitude never changed, and she actually treated me like a human. She chatted with me when she had the time about different cultural foods that are a must try, and when she needed to leave, she always said, “I need to run, I must go see other patients.” Then she would turn around and rush to see her next patient, doing the same exact thing for the following patient, going into their room just the same way she burst into my room, bringing nothing but happiness, joy, and hope.
Tonight, she and her twin partner, Nurse Loly, are both getting a compliment for performing above their job description when it matters the most.
Nurse Manager:
Katrina started as an RN I on 7B during the pandemic, which was a time of confusion and uncertainty for the unit staff. How lucky are we to have this nurse join our team and become a stabilizing force on the night shift?
She continued to grow and became a charge nurse on nights. Many of her team members have commented on this honoree's teamwork and how it positively influences the culture on the night shift.
In 2023, she received an "Honorable Mention" for the Nurse of the Year Award. Lastly, the kindness and empathy she demonstrates toward her patients and their family members have also received accolades.
It is my pleasure to present to you and the International Nursing Community our May 2025 Daisy Award Honoree, Katrina Ortiz, RN.