Cheryl Boger

                  This seasoned nurse of > 25 years, Cheryl Boger, never gets jaded or takes her role as a critical care nurse for granted.  She pushes herself to continue to grow and learn and is a great leader – recognized and known throughout the organization.  She is a role-model nurse. 

Recently a patient in IMC – with complex and chronic health care needs – required a special kind of trach replacement that our hospital doesn’t keep in stock.  Though the MD had requested it to be ordered for this patient two days prior – the needed replacement trach was not yet available.   The MD made the request before the patient was transferred to IMC.  This replacement trach was a need prior to discharge-though it was not an urgent or emergent need.  Cheryl did not make excuses or try to place blame for the other unit not obtaining the trach as the MD requested and thought had been done.  As she does with everything – She simply set out to “make it happen”.  To expedite the discharge planning process – She took it upon herself to resolve.  She could have collaborated with SPD and nurse manager/case manager to get device ordered for the next day.  But though communication with patient/family/MD/Nurse Manager – She found a local pharmacy that carried this device and was familiar with this patient.  She worked it out with the nurse manager to cover her shift responsibilities’ and this nominee went to the pharmacy to pick up the trach replacement herself.  Cheryl paid for this herself so that the patient need could be met immediately and the discharge process would not be prolonged any further.  The patient's MD was extremely impressed and satisfied that the need was met.  Device was expensive and Cheryl is being reimbursed, but she was happy to wait for reimbursement rather than the patient waiting for discharge.