Published: Oct. 21, 2016
Kelsey Farley sees her main role at Sparrow Hospital as protector: “I’m there to help make sure the hospital stays a safe place for everybody,” says the 24-year-old Security Officer.
Working the overnight shift in the Emergency Department, Farley sometimes helps restrain unruly Patients and is often called upon
to diffuse escalating, emotionally charged confrontations.
A letter nominating Farley for a Caregiver Spotlight award said: “Kelsey repeatedly exemplifies the ICARE values. She de-escalates every situation by leveraging the rapport built … over multiple visits at (Sparrow Hospital) and the (Sparrow Hospital at) St. Lawrence ERs. Kelsey also anticipates Patients’ needs and is an all-around asset to our team in the Emergency Department.”
The Caregiver Spotlight honors those like Farley who provide extraordinary care, making sure the needs of our Patients always come first.
Farley believes the key to her success comes in the way she approaches every situation. “I go out of my way to treat everybody with respect and compassion,” she says. “I know that they’re often in distress to begin with and I treat them the way I would want to be treated.”
Kelsey acknowledges that in the initial contact, the goodwill is not always mutual: “With everything that’s going on in the world today, sometimes when people see the uniform, they get the wrong idea. They think I’m there to arrest them or something. I have to say, ‘How can I help?’”
She added: “That’s what I really like about my job - that I’m there to help.”