Meet Kathy: making a difference with a SMILE
Kathy had two requirements in mind when it came time to choose her career path; she wanted to work with children and she wanted to make a difference. As a paediatric nurse at SickKids, she is getting the chance to experience both on a daily basis.
“At SickKids, I get to joke around with kids all day, wipe their tears, and help them and their families get through challenging times,” said Kathy. “Nursing is not only challenging, but it’s exciting, rewarding, interesting and fulfilling. It’s more than just a profession for me; it’s made me who I am as a person.”
As a clinical support nurse in the Post-Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) at SickKids, Kathy cares for children who have undergone a general anesthetic for all types of surgical and diagnostic procedures. This includes pain management, family education, and coordination of patient transfers to many departments throughout the hospital as well as patients going home directly from the PACU. She is also responsible for the organization of safe patient flow into and out of the unit, as well as supporting the nurses who are providing direct patient care.
“I chose to work at SickKids because it has such a positive energy,” said Kathy. “Every day at work, I know my colleagues and I feel we’ve made a difference in someone’s life. At the end of the day, we all have the same collective goal: to provide the best patient and family care possible. And that gives us constant motivation to empower and encourage one another through thick and thin.”
"Every time I look at my SMILE pin, I am reminded of all the wonderful families and children I’ve cared for and why I enjoy being a nurse."
In her role, Kathy loves the opportunities she is given to connect with patients and their families. Whether she is advocating for appropriate pain management, listening to a families’ questions and concerns, providing the appropriate resources for parents to care for their children once they leave the PACU, or offering a shoulder to cry on, Kathy knows that each action she takes can make all the difference for a family and their hospital experience.
“If I can do one thing, whether big or small, to put a smile on a patient or family’s face to help make their hospital stay as positive an experience as possible, I feel like I’ve made a difference. It is in those moments that I am reminded why I love being a nurse.”
Recently, Kathy’s caring personality and supportive nature was recognized through the SMILE program, which provides SickKids families and staff with the opportunity to recognize and thank staff members through a donation to SickKids. When a staff member is acknowledged through the SMILE program, they receive a SMILE pin along with a thank you card containing the news that a donation had been made in their honour.
“Receiving a SMILE feels incredible,” said Kathy. “Being entrusted by a parent to care for their child is honour enough, and I get thanked every day for it. But, a formal recognition has a really lasting effect. Every time I look at my SMILE pin, I am reminded of all the wonderful families and children I’ve cared for and why I enjoy being a nurse. And I share my SMILE with all my colleagues, as I couldn’t be the nurse I am without them.”
If a staff member at SickKids, like Kathy, has brought positivity, comfort or brightness to your day, consider saying thanks by honouring them with a SMILE.
A donation through the SMILE program helps support the most critical needs of the hospital as well as the Staff Continuing Professional Development Fund, which provides full and part-time staff at SickKids with the opportunity to advance their skills and increase their knowledge and expertise. SMILEs make a difference, so please consider giving one today.
