Amanda Harisses, RN (left) poses with Kate Major, RN (right)
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our personal and professional lives, but one thing has remained constant—your commitment to providing amazing care to patients.
Today we’re recognizing Kate Major, a registered nurse at Elliot Health System. She works the nightshift in The Elliot’s CICU.
“When I was still in school, I knew I wanted to start my career at The Elliot because I had such great experiences as a nursing student. Everyone always went above and beyond in making me feel welcome and supported,” Major says.
She has now been working in the CICU for over a year.
“Being a new grad nurse during the pandemic has made me prioritize compassion,” she says. “In the beginning, I could feel the anxiety and fear that our COVID-19 patients were experiencing. To counter this, we brainstormed ways to help them cope, like Face Timing with family. And fortunately, we received so many drawings from children in the community, notes with beautiful and uplifting messages, and donations of books, all of which made a huge impact on our patients’ lives and the lives of our staff. I continue to offer to help every patient Face Time their family members before bed, so they feel less isolated.”
These days, Major has been orienting a new graduate, Amanda Harisses, who is a registered nurse in the CICU at The Elliot.
“Amanda has had to learn cardiac nursing during the pandemic and has tackled it head-on. As a brand-new nurse, she has already experienced the close monitoring and the emergent care we need to provide when our patients need intervention, and she has done so assuredly. Since the patient population requires such critical thinking and skilled nursing, I feel confident that this is making us all become stronger nurses. I am so grateful to work alongside such a supportive team. Together, we can continue to provide the expert care our patients need. I couldn’t imagine facing this pandemic anywhere else,” Major says.
