Andrea Salazar
February 2018
Andrea
Salazar
,
BSN, TNCC, ENPC
ED
Parkland Health & Hospital System
Dallas
,
TX
United States
Andrea Salazar is truly an exceptional nurse as well as an inspirational individual. She is the kind of person that touches your soul even if she is only a part of your life for a moment in time. I have had the pleasure of knowing Andrea for the last few years, and I have watched her grow into the kind of person that all of us should aspire to be. There are many examples as to what makes Andrea worthy of being a DAISY Nurse, but I will give you some of my favorites.
One night we had an exceptionally difficult patient. This patient had been frustrated with staff as well as the duration of his stay in the ED, but immediately calmed down and felt cared for by Andrea. For example, he did not want to take his potassium but needed it. After getting the order changed to the liquid version, Andrea sat in there with the patient while he took a sip and chased it with some pudding. This may not seem like something that is exceptional, but for the thirty mins that she was in there, she made that patient feel as if he was a person who really mattered.
Not that this particularly matters, but Andrea was this way with this patient on the eve of her Mom's surgery (thyroid cancer), which would have been a perfect reason to be consumed in your personal life, but she did not. It is always the patient first—every time. I have seen her hold hands with a patient that is afraid of a needle stick, bring a smile to someone who has a poor prognosis and forms relationships with patients that we see on a frequent basis.
Andrea has a way of turning patients into family, which is not easy to do in a place like the ER. She sets a shining example for every nurse or staff member that she meets. Even in the most frustrating of situations, she finds a way to handle it with grace and always holds the patients best interest at heart. She is a true leader to each person that works with her. Not only is she resourceful and amazing at being a nurse, but she adds so much more with her kind heart and loving spirit. She also has a positive impact on her co-workers.
It is impossible to have a bad shift if Andrea is in your assigned area. She is always there with a smile that instantly improves your disposition. To say I am in awe of the kind of person that Andrea Salazar is would be an understatement. She is the epitome of a DAISY Nurse, and as another nurse here at Parkland, I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to work beside someone so selfless. She is everything that a DAISY Award recipient should be.
One night we had an exceptionally difficult patient. This patient had been frustrated with staff as well as the duration of his stay in the ED, but immediately calmed down and felt cared for by Andrea. For example, he did not want to take his potassium but needed it. After getting the order changed to the liquid version, Andrea sat in there with the patient while he took a sip and chased it with some pudding. This may not seem like something that is exceptional, but for the thirty mins that she was in there, she made that patient feel as if he was a person who really mattered.
Not that this particularly matters, but Andrea was this way with this patient on the eve of her Mom's surgery (thyroid cancer), which would have been a perfect reason to be consumed in your personal life, but she did not. It is always the patient first—every time. I have seen her hold hands with a patient that is afraid of a needle stick, bring a smile to someone who has a poor prognosis and forms relationships with patients that we see on a frequent basis.
Andrea has a way of turning patients into family, which is not easy to do in a place like the ER. She sets a shining example for every nurse or staff member that she meets. Even in the most frustrating of situations, she finds a way to handle it with grace and always holds the patients best interest at heart. She is a true leader to each person that works with her. Not only is she resourceful and amazing at being a nurse, but she adds so much more with her kind heart and loving spirit. She also has a positive impact on her co-workers.
It is impossible to have a bad shift if Andrea is in your assigned area. She is always there with a smile that instantly improves your disposition. To say I am in awe of the kind of person that Andrea Salazar is would be an understatement. She is the epitome of a DAISY Nurse, and as another nurse here at Parkland, I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to work beside someone so selfless. She is everything that a DAISY Award recipient should be.