Working with this person is an absolute pleasure; as charge nurse, she goes above and beyond her duties to ensure the patients on 5 Main receive safe and high-quality care. She is out on the floor with the nurses and techs, always asking if we need help or seeing that we need help and jumping in. I have had her go get new linens and supplies to help me clean up a bed-bound patient. When I said I would ask my PCT for help, she stated, “I am here; let's get it done.” This is her attitude with any and every task; she doesn’t wait to be asked. She is aware of what needs to be done and who needs help and jumps in to help. A patient will call on the call light and need something minor, and she will go and grab that blanket or water for them—one day made me stop and say wow. We had several patients on the floor with trachs, which is not the norm for our floor. I kept seeing her in a room with one of the patients and thought she was helping out another nurse until I realized she was the nurse for that patient. I asked her if that was the case, and she said, “Yes, I didn’t want any of you to have to have five patients, two of which would have trachs.” As a new nurse, I appreciate having a charge nurse who is willing to answer my questions, help me with tasks, and recognize when I need another set of hands. Working with Alyssa and having her as a leader is helping me grow as a nurse and challenging me to one day be able to lead and care in the way that she does. She cares about all of the staff and the patients, which, in the end, means our patients are receiving the best care they possibly can.

***

This person is a new CNIII/Charge dayshift charge on 5 Main, and since she has been in this role, she has made a significant impact on the unit clinically and with building professional relationships. She is always positive, insightful, interactive, and fully aware of everything happening on the unit. She is aware of her team members and their needs and is on the floor supporting them in every way that she can, without question. I have witnessed her on multiple occasions during rapid response situations lead the way with an exquisitely calm demeanor. She has great calmness and control in these situations to support the nurse and is always the person that is side by side with the nurse and helping them, and she is the one that steps in to take over so that the nurses can manage their other patients while in a "holding pattern" waiting for testing or room assignment during these situations. She takes the time to talk to the nurses, walks them through procedures, and spends time with the newer nurses reviewing notes and orders and helping them make sense of plans of care. She is the charge nurse that when you know she is working, no matter how bad the day could be, she will always bring the best out in the team with her positivity and support. The clinical team knows that they can count on her, and she will always do her best to help them in any way she can. This charge nurse needs to be recognized for the significant impact that she has on the unit, her team, and how she continually exemplifies BayCare values in every interaction.

***

From day one, she made me, as well as others, feel like valued members of this team. Her patience in answering my endless questions and willingness to share her knowledge has made such a difference in my confidence and growth as a new nurse. She taught me the importance of remaining calm under pressure, staying positive, and putting the patient first. My floor can be extremely challenging and, at times, frustrating, but she continues to inspire me each time I work with her. She truly is not only an Extraordinary Nurse but a role model.