Stephanie has been a Registered Nurse for seven years; she joined Duke in 2016.  One way she has made an impact is by updating a list of the medications that should be discontinued prior to a procedure.  The list had hundreds of medications, many of which could not be stopped abruptly, but required tapering.  She collaborated with physicians, the pharmacy team and nurses across the health system to narrow down the list, per current evidence.  The new pre-procedure medication list promotes patient safety by allowing patients to continue taking many long-term medications, instead of discontinuing them for a one-day procedure.

This candidate has become certified in her specialty area of nursing, and is effective at dispersing relevant information that is acquired from the numerous national organizations that she is a member of.  She also appropriately shares and applies the knowledge she is gaining from her advanced practice education that she is currently enrolled in to her current clinical practice.  She is a Charge Nurse within the department.  She is recognized by her peers as a go-to nurse for procedures or skills that are infrequent and complex, knowing the vast variety of procedures in the department, performing them competently and with confidence.

This candidate identifies relevant patient safety concerns, and appropriately and effectively takes the steps to make positive change.  For example, an outdated policy regarding myelogram patients would require their psychiatric prescriptions be held for a period both before and after this procedure.  This alone raised her concerns for these patients, and when she researched current literature and found that this practice was no longer supported, she set out to make changes.  With her as the catalyst, the policy and procedure regarding medication holds for this patient population has been updated to a modern and evidence-based practice.

She also supported the development of a nurse-driven protocol for allergic reaction management in the absence of a physician.  Nurses are typically first on the scene for these potentially life-threatening reactions.  The protocol was an important step for allowing patient care to proceed seamlessly.

The Radiology Department is unique in that it requires primary teamwork with not only physicians, but also technologists in multiple radiology modalities.  This candidate is highly regarded within this interprofessional environment as being knowledgeable, approachable, and a key leader in encouraging collaborative efforts required to provide the best care to all patients, at all times.

She developed a relationship with a Nurse Practitioner from the Radiation Oncology Clinic to include the NP in shadowing procedures specific to her specialty and maintaining lines of communication to best prepare and educate oncology patients for the procedures done in our department.

This candidate not only has the intelligence to effectively apply theory to practice, but is a role model for how to practically do so.  She applies “Knowing” by using her knowledge and skills to not only provide excellent patient care, but also connect with her patients, families and coworkers in personalized ways.  She applies “Being With” by taking unhurried time to provide this individualized care to patients and families, and by educating fellow nurses and team members in her area(s) of expertise in order to enhance the practice of those around her.  She incorporates “Doing For” by taking action for patients and coworkers, which is fueled by her desire to effectively provide care and respect for others.  She applies “Enabling/Informing” by being an informal leader and educator for the entire Radiology Department by providing leadership and education that is transformative and based on her ability to empathetically listen to others and identify how she can encourage them to advocate for themselves.  Finally, she is a model for “Maintaining Belief” for patients and others by individualizing care and relationships based on the needs of others and supporting others’ beliefs regarding the type of care they want for themselves or their family members, or by enabling others to provide the type of care they want to give their patients.

This candidate is the picture of what a Duke Nurse should aspire to be, as evidenced by her tenacious focus on providing patient care excellence, aspiring to advance her career as a Nurse Practitioner through a renowned local educational institution, and by being an exemplary clinical nurse leader and team member within a unique interdisciplinary team.