I have had the privilege of working with Amie in my 10 years on this Family Birth Center unit. In addition to working alongside her, I was trained/oriented to this unit when I was a new nurse hire over 7 years ago by Amie. After working on the floor with direct patient care, Amie currently works as the Assistant Nurse Manager.
One of the things I like best about our unit, aside from doing the work I love, is the women I work with. They are inspiring. They are examples of bedside compassion. They care about their patients and they care about the holistic well-being of their team. They always do what is right. There are MANY good examples of the DAISY qualities on my unit, Amie is a leader among these examples.
Under fire, Amie thrives and continues to lead. Last year, she stood in as our interim Nurse Manager, juggling the duties of two full-time jobs and being a wife and mother. She always kept a great attitude for the sake of our unit and its patients, even though we recognized all the projects and tasks she was dealing with.
This example has countless others preceding it. I recall several times when she was our charge nurse and the unit was busy - very busy! Her calm demeanor and "can do" attitude were infectious and we always made it through a shift with her support and strong work ethic. Now, as I go through a busy and sometimes chaotic day as a charge nurse, I can hear her voice in my head: "It's 12 hours. We can do anything for 12 hours."
She always maintains a professional and respectful attitude with providers and staff, fostering good morals and ethical behavior, and does so in a manner that inspires others to do the same.
In turn, that leads to motivation for involvement on our unit when change is needed. Whenever possible, she encourages the solutions to come from within the unit's members, rather than trickle down from the administration.
She is always available for the needs of her team and makes herself approachable, not intimidating. It creates a great environment for our patients: our moms, babies, and their families. Amie knows that providing quality care on our unit is providing quality care in our Silverton community. These women and their families are her friends and neighbors. Even if she does not personally know them, she treats them as if they were.
In the years I have known Amie, seen her in action, and watched her overcome challenges as they present themselves, I have admired her. She is exactly who I hope to be when I consider my future career goals: intelligent, moral, hardworking, team-oriented, respectful, and compassionate.
She seems to wake up and approach each day with fresh eyes and a fresh heart and I am willing to bet that EVERYONE on our unit would have something positive to say about her.