Rachel Kane
August 2025
Rachel
Kane
,
RN
Inpatient Surgical
Missouri Baptist Medical Center
Town and Country
,
MO
United States
Rachel constantly strived to make me feel just a bit more comfortable in what was an admittedly awkward situation.
Having a surgical event, especially after just receiving a recent diagnosis of cancer, is an overwhelming experience. I don't care how much "battle rattle" you believe that you may possess. Something like this is a humbling experience.
Having a caring nurse can make all the difference in the world with how you work through the denial and ultimate acceptance of such a thing, and this process can have a great deal to do with who your specific caregiver is at the time. I have often said that life is not what happens to you, but how you handle such things.
Rachel constantly strived to make me feel just a bit more comfortable in what was an admittedly awkward situation. This was my first ever experience with a Foley catheter... or the accompanying drainage bag that is hanging there for the world to see! Not all caregivers are the same, and some just seem to be “naturals” at their chosen vocation. I saw this with Rachel, who genuinely seemed interested in my patient care and very much bonded with my wife and me.
My wife is a retired R.N. who still picks up occasional PRN shifts at her hospital (do nurses ever really retire?). My son and his wife are also registered nurses, and I made the comment that listening to Rachel and my wife chatting together was like sitting through a family meal at our home (100% work chat; Steven gets to add nothing). I wanted to illustrate the level of comfort that Rachel brought into the room. It really became like a family environment.
On one occasion, Rachel rounded with a student nurse who was currently going through a nursing program. I could see the respect that this student held for Rachel and the level of experience, wisdom, and judgment being bestowed on the student by her preceptor. We have all had mentors during the beginning of our careers, and we are better for them.
Of all the training officers that I had when I started mine, only a small few really stand out in my memory, and I can’t help but think that Rachel will be one of those individuals in the lives of the students (and patients) that she works with over her career.
I don’t know one thing about the hiring process that goes on at Missouri Baptist, but whatever they are doing there, they need to keep doing it, because I honestly didn’t have a bad experience during my entire treatment and subsequent recovery there. There is a reason I made the nearly 4-hour trek to be treated there rather than a local hospital, which is admittedly much closer to my home.
Thanks for the fantastic care!
Having a caring nurse can make all the difference in the world with how you work through the denial and ultimate acceptance of such a thing, and this process can have a great deal to do with who your specific caregiver is at the time. I have often said that life is not what happens to you, but how you handle such things.
Rachel constantly strived to make me feel just a bit more comfortable in what was an admittedly awkward situation. This was my first ever experience with a Foley catheter... or the accompanying drainage bag that is hanging there for the world to see! Not all caregivers are the same, and some just seem to be “naturals” at their chosen vocation. I saw this with Rachel, who genuinely seemed interested in my patient care and very much bonded with my wife and me.
My wife is a retired R.N. who still picks up occasional PRN shifts at her hospital (do nurses ever really retire?). My son and his wife are also registered nurses, and I made the comment that listening to Rachel and my wife chatting together was like sitting through a family meal at our home (100% work chat; Steven gets to add nothing). I wanted to illustrate the level of comfort that Rachel brought into the room. It really became like a family environment.
On one occasion, Rachel rounded with a student nurse who was currently going through a nursing program. I could see the respect that this student held for Rachel and the level of experience, wisdom, and judgment being bestowed on the student by her preceptor. We have all had mentors during the beginning of our careers, and we are better for them.
Of all the training officers that I had when I started mine, only a small few really stand out in my memory, and I can’t help but think that Rachel will be one of those individuals in the lives of the students (and patients) that she works with over her career.
I don’t know one thing about the hiring process that goes on at Missouri Baptist, but whatever they are doing there, they need to keep doing it, because I honestly didn’t have a bad experience during my entire treatment and subsequent recovery there. There is a reason I made the nearly 4-hour trek to be treated there rather than a local hospital, which is admittedly much closer to my home.
Thanks for the fantastic care!