Miranda Friedrichs, a recent nursing graduate of Queen’s University, has achieved something special in her brief two-and-a-half-month placement at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC): patients and/or their families honored Miranda with three Honour Your Caregiver awards from the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) for her outstanding care.
During the 2023-24 fiscal year, about 190 staff members and departments were honoured through the HYC program, so Miranda earning three in such a short period speaks volumes about her dedication and impact on patient care.
“I’m blown away,” says Miranda. “I didn’t know how big of a deal it was. I’ve seen the awards come up for our unit, but it’s usually the whole team being recognized. To receive three personally feels surreal.”
The Honour Your Caregiver program allows grateful patients and families to make donations in honor of health-care workers who made a significant difference during their care. It’s a heartfelt way to express gratitude and also a meaningful method of supporting health-care services.
For Miranda, the awards are a testament to her compassionate approach, which she describes as treating every patient as she would a loved one.
“I approach my patients as if they’re my grandmother or a family member. I want them to feel seen, heard and included in their care,” she explained.
One of the awards came early in Miranda’s placement, during a procedure where a patient was under local anesthesia.
“They couldn’t see what was happening, and I wanted them to know they weren’t alone,” she says.
Miranda’s focus on patient-centered care clearly resonated, leaving a lasting impression on both the patient and their family.
The Honour Your Caregiver program serves as an important reminder of the value of recognition in health care, particularly in a time when the nursing profession faces challenges like staffing shortages and high workloads.
“It’s uplifting to know that patients and families are so appreciative that they would go out of their way to do something like this,” Miranda says. “It shows we’re not forgotten, even if we sometimes feel that way.”
Miranda has now moved on to the next chapter of her career – the Alberta native has left Kingston and will be starting work soon at a new hospital. But she will fondly remember her achievements at KHSC as a shining example of the profound impact nurses can have.