May 2017
Alexandra
Walters
,
RN
8 East
Advocate Christ Medical Center
Oak Lawn
,
IL
United States
Alex was recently standing at her patient's cart waiting in the hallway for his bed to be cleaned and noticed the patient was having a lethal arrhythmia. Alex quickly contacted the physician, obtained orders to treat the arrhythmia, and arranged for an immediate transfer to the ICU. Alex remains persistent when obtaining orders and then clarifying the orders given. Recently she questioned the proper protocol for wound documentation, and continues to seek guidance when documenting. I often hear Alex rounding on her patients. She always checks to make sure they are okay when their answers seem too quick, and asks open ended questions to get to the real issue . Alex recently accepted the position of Unit council co-chair. Right after accepting the position, she developed an educational document to post on the unit. The idea behind the document was to provide a quick visual for the staff in identifying a particular pressure ulcer and it's treatment. Alex can be relied on as a preceptor. The newer staff often comment that she is a natural at teaching. She allows our new nurses the space to think while allowing them to grow during their orientation. Alex recently trained for charge RN. She is relied on by staff to provide thorough follow-up during the workday, and is often instrumental in helping others get through a difficult situation. It is common for new nurses to, "get their feet wet" on a telemetry floor before moving on to other experiences. When asked if she planned on moving to a higher acuity setting, Alex responded, "No! I love my patients too much!".