Chelsea Statler

At Highsmith Rainey Specialty Hospital, an extended length of stay for patients is not only expected, it is a requirement. Many patients are admitted to this long term acute care facility for weeks or even months. The patients here are often very sick, on ventilators, and have multiple complex medical issues. They have difficulty communicating, expressing their needs, and are often homesick for family, friends, and the way life used to be. Enter 3rd floor’s lead charge nurse, Chelsea Statler, RN.

Chelsea began as a new graduate on the 3rd floor but quickly transitioned to lead charge nurse. Although her daily charge nurse duties may interfere with her ability to provide direct patient care she makes time in her schedule to provide a little extra TLC to the patients and their families. The patients know that they can ask for Chelsea at any time and she will come. She can be found going room to room each morning delivering newspapers to the patients, being a cheerleader for them during therapy, or easing the mind of any patient or family member who is concerned about a medical procedure scheduled for later in the day.

One patient was particularly impressed with Chelsea’s compassion the day before she was scheduled for an early morning CT scan. The patient was upset to learn that she would have to be NPO through the hospital’s normal breakfast and lunchtimes in preparation for an afternoon scan. Chelsea took the initiative to call the cafeteria order a breakfast muffin and cereal to come to the patient’s room the night before the CT scan. She then arranged for the night shift to wake the patient at 5:30 AM to eat her breakfast meal before her NPO status was scheduled to begin. The patient was so amazed and thankful that Chelsea had thought of her and made every attempt to make her as comfortable as possible.

Chelsea can also be found providing support for the families of Highsmith’s sickest patients: the ones who cannot talk, move or even breathe on their own. Many times, it is the family members of these patients who need the most care and compassion. They are often struggling with end-of-life issues and have questions that not even the best of medical science can answer. Chelsea listens quietly, sitting eye to eye with family and simply offering and ear and a tissue. She is the voice of the patient who has no voice, encouraging the family to scoot their chairs close to the bed and talk to their loved one even if they can no respond.

Compassion can be forgotten when spending day after day sorting through lab results, paging countless physicians, and fielding numerous phone calls. Chelsea continues to do all of that while providing care and compassion for her patients and their families. We would like to nominate Chelsea for the DAISY Award to recognize her for all that she does to provide a little extra support to those who have been away from home and family for so long.