The day-to-day work of a home health nurse can be quite different from their hospital-bound colleagues.
Each day, nurses like Katherine Uhlir are invited into someone else’s space: an uncontrolled environment where they are not just a caregiver but also a guest. They do hands-on work like injections, catheters and wound care, while also training patients how to care for themselves outside of a hospital setting.
“Our patients are usually homebound. They can’t drive to appointments. Leaving the house is really taxing,” said Uhlir, a registered nurse and case manager at Sanford Home Health in Fargo, North Dakota.
They’re also a conduit between patients and doctors, relaying information as needed.
“You have to be able to have some autonomy. You have to be confident in your skills, but you have to be able to say, ‘OK, I need to reach out to the physician,’” said Paula Peterson, clinical manager at Sanford Home Care Fargo. “We are kind of the bridge between somebody being able to stay independent in their home or needing to move to that next higher level of care.”
Speaking up for patients
It’s that attention to detail that alerted Uhlir to an infection in one of her home care patients, Gail Agnes. Last October, Agnes had hip replacement surgery. She couldn’t see the scar on her right hip, and she didn’t think anything of the irritation because the recovery from surgery had been uncomfortable.
“If we know they’re a postoperative patient and they have an incision, we definitely are checking the incision that day,” said Uhlir. “In her instance, I noticed there was a gap in the incision.”
Uhlir sent photos to Agnes’ physician, and after a follow-up visit, recommended that her patient go to a walk-in clinic for a checkup.
“The doctor I saw there confirmed that it was looking very infected, and she took some blood work,” said Agnes. “She admitted me to the hospital. I really feel that had Katherine not been so insistent on me going back in, I may have just ignored it and decided it would get better on its own. I truly think that she saved me from actually going to a septic level of the infection.
“Fortunately for me, she was a bulldog with it.”
Agnes’ surgeon went back in to wash out the wound and re-sew it two different times before she was given a clean bill of health. All because her home health nurse made the right call.
“She knew things were not looking the way they should,” said Peterson. “She wasn’t afraid to continue to push to make sure that the patient got what they needed.”
A surprise award
After her full recovery, Agnes and Uhlir went their separate ways, but Agnes felt the need to honor the nurse who took such good care of her.
Photo by Jason Anschutz, Sanford Health
“All nurses, CNAs and other caregivers have a greatly demanding job, and most of them do their jobs and truly want to help their patients, but there are some that stand out as incredible caregivers. And Katherine is one of these,” Agnes said.
So she nominated Uhlir for a DAISY Award, which is a way for patients to recognize nurses they feel show excellence through their clinical skills and compassion.
“I believe that since she had been so instrumental in keeping me healthy, that she needed to have that recognition that most nurses and caregivers so often don’t have,” Agnes said. “She was extremely competent … I really truly looked forward to each of her visits.”
The award ceremony itself was a surprise, with Agnes and some of Uhlir’s family members attending. Uhlir says she was not prepared for the honor.
“I thought we were having a meeting and then I saw my parents and I saw Gail and I’m like, ‘What is Gail doing here?’ I had already discharged her from home care by then, so I hadn’t seen her in a while,” Uhlir said with a laugh. “Then my boss and Gail presented me with the award. It was really nice.”
The two took a photo together, and once again went their separate ways. Hopefully they won’t need to work together again. But if they do, Gail Agnes knows exactly who she wants in her home, keeping a watchful eye.
“My other hip is acting up,” Agnes said. “I’m hoping that when I do have to have it replaced, I’ll have Katherine back.”
Learn more
- 5 common conditions you can manage with in-home medical care
- Home care team in Minnesota is ‘part of our family’
- Physical therapy through home care ‘built me up’
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Posted In Awards & Recognition, Fargo, Nursing and Nursing Support
