Mag names MUSC's Chase Nurse of the Year
Katherine Chase, R.N., was selected as Nursing Spectrum Metro's Nurse of the Year. Copyright 2001. Nursing Spectrum <http://www.nursingspectrum.com>. All rights reserved. Used with permission.When Katherine Chase, R.N., was in nursing school, a mentor taught her that striving for perfection always made a difference in patient care. Chase has done just that.
Nursing
Spectrum Metro's Nurse of the Year, Katherine Chase, R.N., left, with Ashley
Woods and her baby Harrison.
Through her efforts, [MUSC] neonatal ICU (NICU) has become a very different place. Gone are the bright lights, ringing phones, and traumatic procedures. Instead, a new breed of nursing care thrives—developmental care—one that fosters nurturing along with cutting-edge science.
“I was inspired by the work of California researchers who found quieter environments had a direct impact on babies' heart rates, oxygen saturations, and overall health,” said Chase. “But to make it work, we required a multidisciplinary approach and we had to perfect it.”
Chase enlisted all members of the NICU team for help. Using an assessment tool she designed, the team began making their care decisions more thoughtfully. When uncomfortable procedures have to be done, caregivers work in pairs—one performs the task, the other securely snuggles with the baby. And working with hospital designers, Chase created incubator covers that keep light out of babies' eyes while they receive life-saving phototherapy.
Parents whose children are NICU patients learn about the special needs of their babies from Chase herself. “Getting to Know Me,” a class she presents every two weeks, helps parents understand the special care preemies require and how their babies will be cared for by the nurses. The program has been a turning point for everyone, including Chase herself. “About five years ago, I cared for a 23-week preemie who was one of the first to receive developmental care,” Chase said. “She survived and showed our staff our care made a difference.”
A tireless advocate and clinician, Chase organizes volunteers who make blankets, preemie clothing, eyepads for the babies, and oversized shirts so parents can kangaroo their babies close to their skin. Chase has also helped organize parent groups to speak at public hearings in support of South Carolina's Perinatal Regionalization Program—an initiative that had been in jeopardy.
“It's important to strive for professional satisfaction, but always
remember you need personal satisfaction, too,” Chase said. “You can make
a difference. Know that you have the power to change things.”