Kedus Getaneh
March 2022
Kedus
Getaneh
,
BSN, RN
CICU
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle
,
WA
United States

 

 

 

He talks to her in such a compassionate way, when she becomes more anxious, he will start singing to her. You can hear him singing Disney songs to help calm her down.
I have had the pleasure of seeing Kedus grow from a new graduate nurse, to a skilled compassionate caregiver over the last few years. He is welcoming and supportive of his peers, seeks knowledge daily, and brings such joy to the workplace. Recently, he embraced new technology, VADs, with eagerness and motivation to continue to grow in knowledge to provide excellent care to his patients. He came in above his FTE to shadow the new device and then began caring for the patient the very next day. Not only did he pursue this new skill - but his compassion for his patients continues to shine! Kedus has taken the extra time to make his teenage VAD patient feel comfortable, included, and cared for. His focus has been on progressing her care, getting her out of bed, encouraging her, bringing positivity, support, and keeping her safe! He sings to her, takes time to get to know her and her family, and is such a role model for the compassionate care we strive to give! Kedus has such a talent for connecting with his patients, puts them at ease, and prioritizes their needs above all else. I feel so honored and proud to be his manager - he's a rising star!

***

Kedus embodies what it means to be a truly compassionate, exemplary nurse. But it is in his care for one of our VAD patients that Kedus shines. Kedus has been working tirelessly with our VAD patient who is ASD. He has been working to develop a rapport with her, helping with lessening her anxieties. He talks to her in such a compassionate way, when she becomes more anxious, he will start singing to her. You can hear him singing Disney songs to help calm her down. Kedus helps put her at ease through his kind and calm demeanor. In the CICU, we admittedly aren't the best with rehabbing patients, but Kedus has been fantastic with getting this patient out of bed either walking around the unit doing laps or into the wheelchair to see the different sites.

When we first opened up spots on our VAD team, Kedus was tentative on joining, thinking that being on the unit for only for just over a year, starting as a new grad, he wouldn't have the experience necessary or this step into more advanced equipment or care might not be the right time for him. Joining the VAD team was absolutely the right thing for him to do! His confidence as a nurse has grown exponentially and as his educator, this has been so heartwarming to watch!!

***

I heard a story in sign-out rounds about Kedus and his incredible, outside-the-box compassion that really just made me so grateful to have him in the CICU. The day team was handing off the patient -a young boy with a long, complex hospital stay- whose pain and nausea had been very difficult to manage with medications. The patient was having a rough afternoon with 10/10 pain and nausea, and the night shift NP told the team about how the night before, Kedus had come up with the idea to make a "Peppermint Steamer" for the patient. He'd gotten some peppermint essential oil (widely thought to reduce nausea) and carefully crafted a hot water/steam container system so the patient could breathe in the steam to help relax. Apparently, it worked wonders to relieve this poor kid's suffering. It really didn't surprise me that Kedus- someone I know to have a huge heart- did something so meaningful for a child he cared for...this is just who Kedus is. He deserves to be celebrated for the incredible difference he has made not just for this child- but for so many others as well!