Kathie Ratliff: “I fall in love with my families, my babies and my kids.”
By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org
Kathie Ratliff once was on the path to becoming a teacher, but a shift in passions (and advice from her dad) pointed her in the direction of nursing.
Three decades later, she is grateful she made the switch and found her true calling.
Ratliff, who joined Riley Hospital for Children as a nurse on the infant unit back in the 1990s, later moved into the NICU and loved it. She eventually trained as an ECMO clinician and spends her days monitoring patients on the life-support system (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) that can be a bridge to recovery for some patients.
It was in that role that Ratliff was recently recognized with a DAISY Award for her clinical skills and compassionate care.
“Kathie provided exceptional end-of-life care for not only the patient but the family during this heartbreaking moment in their life,” said fellow nurse and ECMO clinician Matt Roehrig, who added that her effort and presence “brought peace to this family.”
One of the ways she did that was to stop at a store on her way home from the hospital on a Sunday night, buying an outfit for the newborn that could be adapted to the child’s fragile condition, and allowing the family to hold the baby to say goodbye.
“I fall in love with my families, my babies and my kids,” said Ratliff, who spends 12 hours each shift with one family and one patient, monitoring the complex machinery while also presenting plenty of time to bond.
As an ECMO nurse-clinician, she goes where the patients are, whether that’s the NICU, CVICU or PICU, but her home base remains the NICU.
“One of my favorite things about ECMO is getting to know the doctors and nurses on the other units.”
Ratliff is the mother of two adult daughters and dog mom to Lyla, a Pomchi (cross between a Pomeranian and a Chihuahua).
She recently celebrated the wedding of one daughter by taking a Mediterranean cruise with her other daughter and a friend.
“It was the most amazing vacation I’ve ever been on,” she said, recounting stops in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Egypt (where she saw the pyramids and rode a camel).
When she’s not traveling, she likes to unwind by camping and boating.
Nominate a nurse who exemplifies excellent clinical skills and compassionate care here. https://www.rileychildrens.org/form/riley-daisy-award
Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org
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