Charmaine Richards
August 2015
Charmaine
Richards
,
RN, CMSRN
med/surg
Homestead Hospital
Homestead
,
FL
United States
Charmaine is an extra ordinary nurse to say the least. She always expresses feeling of concern and sympathy for others. At times, when the staff grew frustrated with the not so easy patients, she is the first to remind us that our patients, apart from cosmetic work or delivering babies, are generally not in the healthcare setting because they want to be. They are fearful and at risk of losing their health, possibly their lives, and concurrently, those visitors with them may be at risk of losing precious loved ones. They are not in control and are frightened and they need our support. She constantly advocates for the patients and is willing to speak up whenever she feels the environment is not as safe as it can be.
She has the ability and willingness to share in the feelings of others. It doesn't mean that she agrees with the patients or completely understands what they are going through, it simply means that she is willing to make a concerted effort to listen to them, to put herself in their place and to attempt to understand their challenges.
She has the ability to give to others at the expense of her own self. Over the past 4 years I have witnessed countless stories that illustrate her ability to give to others. This could be as simple as missing lunch to comfort a worried patient or to do something extraordinary for someone else. She makes it her obligation as a nurse to continue to remain on the cutting edge of the health care practice regardless the discipline. As a nursing leader, she always shows interest in reading on healthcare economics, leadership theory and other issues that impact those in leadership roles. On several occasions, she even expressed to me how important it is to read journals, achieve certifications, continue our academic pursuits and read all the information that comes from our healthcare organizations in regard to policy, product or process changes. She emphasizes how a lack of knowledge can lead to adverse patient outcomes, and for that ignorance is no excuse but rather our responsibility. I'm nominating Charmaine for a DAISY Award because she is compassionate, empathetic, intelligent, selfless and an extraordinary nurse.
She has the ability and willingness to share in the feelings of others. It doesn't mean that she agrees with the patients or completely understands what they are going through, it simply means that she is willing to make a concerted effort to listen to them, to put herself in their place and to attempt to understand their challenges.
She has the ability to give to others at the expense of her own self. Over the past 4 years I have witnessed countless stories that illustrate her ability to give to others. This could be as simple as missing lunch to comfort a worried patient or to do something extraordinary for someone else. She makes it her obligation as a nurse to continue to remain on the cutting edge of the health care practice regardless the discipline. As a nursing leader, she always shows interest in reading on healthcare economics, leadership theory and other issues that impact those in leadership roles. On several occasions, she even expressed to me how important it is to read journals, achieve certifications, continue our academic pursuits and read all the information that comes from our healthcare organizations in regard to policy, product or process changes. She emphasizes how a lack of knowledge can lead to adverse patient outcomes, and for that ignorance is no excuse but rather our responsibility. I'm nominating Charmaine for a DAISY Award because she is compassionate, empathetic, intelligent, selfless and an extraordinary nurse.