DAISY Award

Kendall Mendenhall, RN, BSN. CCRN
Tower 2 SICU

Kendall Mendenhall exhibits a high level of professionalism and compassion that align with the values of UC Davis as an ICU nurse. He goes above and beyond to provide empathetic and holistic care in the clinical setting and is part of an informal team who call themselves the "Sunshine Crew".

One example that stands out is a patient care experience with a homeless man who was admitted to the hospital because he was down on his luck and experiencing severe depression. The patient was placed on a psychiatric hold because he was deemed a threat to his own life. During the patient's hospital stay, he was considered a patient that was verbally abusive toward staff. New nurses were assigned to him every shift; however Kendall was able to connect with him on a human level by getting to know him and inquiring about the events in his life leading up to his hospital admission. Kendall was able to help the patient identify what his hopes were for the future. During this time, Kendall discovered the patient had met the 'love of his life' just prior to seeking medical help. Kendall helped to motivate the patient and change his perspective into a more positive light by having him reflect on his recent experience with love.

After a few days under Kendall’s care, the patient became much more positive, he was walking again, taking his medication, and talking more about 'the love of his life'. Kendall helped him clean up by giving him a fresh shave, trimming his hair and nails. He was a new man.

After a few days under Kendall's care, the patient was no longer considered a harm to himself and was able to be discharged with plans for treatment as an outpatient. As a witness, I can say this man was practically skipping down the halls, floating on cloud nine, upon being released from the hospital and on his way to proposing to the woman he held in his heart.

Submitters: John James