This nominee values and displays a strong work ethic in which she is committed to the goals of the team. This includes attendance, as she rarely calls out and works extra shifts to fill hospital needs. She is extremely reliable and can be counted on when the unit has emergent staffing concerns. She is a role model who sets an example that all staff should aspire to follow and never practices outside of her scope. She embodies honesty and integrity in any situation and always holds herself accountable for her actions. She is very eager to learn and does not hesitate to ask questions when unsure of orders, tests, or procedures. She recognizes abnormal values and/or acute changes in patient conditions and promptly reports them to the supervising charge nurse and provider. She also communicates patient information promptly and with 100% accuracy.

She is currently a CN II per the clinical ladder, but her contributions and expertise are far beyond this title. She stated she wanted to continue to further her scope of practice and continue to advance in her career and while continuing to climb the clinical ladder, she has also chosen to go back to school to obtain her nurse practitioner license. She is actively in involved in committees and is a Unit Champion of a few different expertise. However, I find one of her greatest achievements is her character. She genuinely cares about others and displays excellence daily. Some examples are how she helped raise awareness and financial support to charities such as angel tree, heart walk, and her volunteering outside of the hospital. She has been a volunteer with the animal protection society since 2018, and also a crisis line advocate since 2017. She truly embodies the essence of a caregiver for her community, peers, and occupation.

She has created a Bedside Reporting guideline tool that she uses as a resource for quick glance information. It consists of patient history, the reason for admission, assessment-organized by body system, discharge planning, and update section for communicating patient care and orders processed throughout the shift. She uses her expertise to help educate staff on skills, policies, critical thinking process, and time management. It is a benefit to have a strong nurse directly involved in the influencing our colleagues. Her everyday contribution directly influences the employee’s nursing practice and aids in patient satisfaction. In her role as CHF Champion she completes audits, and brings this wealth of information back to her peers to help support us in growth and evidence-based practice. Her strong work ethic, and support have helped improve our standards of practice and core measure outcomes.

This phenomenal nurse is easy to approach and can articulate and communicate her ideas with clarity. She gave a persuasive and well-rehearsed presentation in front of her nurse residency colleagues and hospital administrators for her final project. She can communicate clearly regarding patient care by utilizing the SBAR. She is precise in communicating patient information accurately. One of the Charge Nurses stated, “When I’ve been in charge, I never have to worry about her and her patient assignment. She always uses effective communication by keeping me informed on her patients!” One example of her communicating with patients is: It never fails, as I walk through the unit making rounds, I always see her sitting in a chair in the patient’s room, at their level, and interacting and communicating with the patient.

She expressed interest in working with underserved populations when applying for the Duke Family Nurse Practitioner Program (FNP). She told me how frustrating it is to care for patients on our unit who suffer from preventable chronic diseases, many of whom have poor health care access. Her primary motivation to become an FNP is to provide care to underserved populations at risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, COPD, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Because of this passion, she was recently asked to take over the heart failure (HF) education pilot and become a heart failure Champion. She sees her role as an opportunity to provide clear and concise information to HF patients and their families. Education such as diet and lifestyle modifications can empower them to make informed decisions about their health. She continually promotes the successful pilot through continued education and reviewing with new staff members.

Our unit is so lucky to have hired her! She is such an asset to our team. Since we are a medicine unit, our patient population can be very challenging and fast-paced. She is always willing to assist others as well as provide high-quality care to her patients.