Merlina Otakan

Merlina Otakan was nominated by her coworkers who had these complimentary words to say about her:

I worked with Merlina on the same shift. When I work with her and I become overwhelmed, she is there to help. She is truly a team player. She has been with Sinai for over 25 years. She works well with patients/families, as well as with other staff. In most cases, she is our charge nurse, and she makes sure that everyone is okay. She is very knowledgeable, a great leader, and overall she’s a great nurse. She is one of my mentors, and I can say that I am proud and honored to work with her.

Merlina has excellent clinical skills and delivers compassionate care to our patient population and their families. She is always observant of each nurse’s patients and the skill level of each nurse. She is always available to mentor and precept. She is an excellent source of knowledge for all nurses. One of many situations comes to mind, this one in particular. I remember after the death of a patient on our unit, the post-mortem care she gave was extraordinary. She bathed the deceased as if he was alive to know and feel the respect, care and love in how she cared and respected him, even in death. I have never seen any nurse take care of a deceased patient as she did.

Merlina is busy, but a good team worker, and she shows great customer service. She never waits for me to come and suction my patients. She always suctions them herself when she sees that I am busy. In the morning she even helps me with ABGs, and that’s teamwork! She has patience, and knows how to talk with family members.

Merlina deserves this Award! She has been a nurse for decades, and she demonstrates unconditional support and guidance to all of the staff. She has been willing to educate the staff with clear and concise information that is needed to be an effective caregiver. She always initiates help with staff, and patients with their needs.