This employee works hard to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and equitably.  She practices with the highest ethical standards and treats individuals with respect regardless of their life circumstances.  She also works hard to acquire additional materials for students who might be struggling with certain content.  She utilizes her personal time to meet with students as their schedules allow, and works with them to develop an individualized plan for success.  She is highly respected by her peers and is known to be a go-to person for sound advice.  She assisted a new instructor in understanding the importance of effective communication with students, to ensure the positive image of the course, the faculty and the college.  She proactively sought out resources, came up with a plan and executed the plan flawlessly.  This is just one example of her innate and effective leadership skills.

She is currently enrolled in a DNP program and recently became a Certified Maternal/Newborn Nurse.  She is the instructor for the maternity rotation, and felt that this certification would provide more insight on ways to best instruct students on this content.  She is the Faculty Chair for the Student Government Association (SGA) and volunteers at several community events. Additionally, she serves as Course-Level Lead and organizes the work of her level.  She actively participates on several committees at the college.

She created a Maternity Escape Room as an innovative strategy to teach the women’s/maternity health course content.  This activity requires the students to revalidate and deepen their skills, and develop new ones (communications, fine motor, leadership, social, problem-solving).  They must analyze clues to solve puzzles, which requires analytical skills and encourages them to think on their feet.  The students were engaged and very complimentary on this unique approach to learning.

Additionally, this faculty sponsored an interprofessional symposium around hospice and end-of-life care, with a unique focus on the pediatric client.  Hospice and palliative care professionals (Chaplain, Social Work, Nursing) were included in a round-table discussion regarding end of life.  She advocated for using the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) training modules for the students, so that they might have a better understanding of the events surrounding end of life.

She is known to “show up” for her peers.  She supports the emotional needs of her peers and the students that she serves.  She often advocates for goods and services that might positively impact student outcomes.  She fully embodies Swanson’s Theory of Caring and serves as a role model for care, compassion and professionalism for the students.  A student recently needed to travel out of the country as the health of a parent declined.  This nurse remained in constant communication with the student, provided resources and offered support so that the student did not fall behind on course commitments.

She is the type of nurse that nursing students strive to be.  She sets the bar high and supports students as they climb to meet their goals.