Cheryl
Halterman
June 2011
Cheryl
Halterman
,
RN, BSN, CCRN
ICU/CCU
UnityPoint Health - Des Moines
Des Moines
,
IA
United States
Caring and compassion, I believe, are not taught or learned in nursing school or in a classroom. They are special gifts not all are given. These two characteristics ooze from Cheryl Halterman every day at work, and she is an excellent candidate for the Daisy Award. Cheryl is kind, compassionate, and gentle to every patient placed in her charge. The way she touches, speaks to, and listens to her patients is amazing to watch. Cheryl never loses her patience or sight of what is best for her patients and their families. She never rushes in and out of a room, always addressing every need, even with some of the more trying patients.
Cheryl addresses all aspects of the patient’s plan of care from simple to complex. No matter what it may be, if it is important to the patient or family, Cheryl makes it a priority. It may be as simple as obtaining a recliner to assist a family member to rest more comfortable during their loved ones stay, or as complex as interpreting hemodynamic numbers and notifying a physician of her concerns. Cheryl has excellent critical thinking skills and holds herself to a very high level of accountability. She easily handles any patient who may roll through our doors.
Cheryl is very active in the unit. She is an excellent leader and performs the relief charge role with ease. She is also available for committee work when asked. Peers and physicians view Cheryl as a leader and an excellent resource. She brings many smiles when she comes to work, as often she brings homemade treats for the staff.
Cheryl is an example of one of the most caring and compassionate nurses I know. The lives she touches every day while she works are changed forever from her extraordinary ways. She is an excellent example of our CORE values here at Iowa Health and would be an excellent nurse to receive the DAISY Award.
Cheryl goes above and beyond consistently. She is a member of CCU’s leadership team and consistently volunteers when needed. Recently she helped abstract data for a CCU project involving the APACHE acuity system. Along with several critical care nurses from IH-DM, Cheryl attended AACN’s National Teaching Institute in Chicago. The group objective was to bring learning opportunities back to their respective critical care units. Cheryl is coordinating this and will present a PowerPoint presentation she created at ICU collaborative as well as unit meetings. She wasn’t asked to do this, she volunteered and she will drive changes as a result of her experience. On a personal note Cheryl regularly drives to Marshalltown, a trip of more than 50 miles to help her mother care for ailing father. Cheryl is the epitome of a caregiver. IH-DM is privileged to have a lot of great nurses but in my experience Cheryl Halterman is the best.
Cheryl addresses all aspects of the patient’s plan of care from simple to complex. No matter what it may be, if it is important to the patient or family, Cheryl makes it a priority. It may be as simple as obtaining a recliner to assist a family member to rest more comfortable during their loved ones stay, or as complex as interpreting hemodynamic numbers and notifying a physician of her concerns. Cheryl has excellent critical thinking skills and holds herself to a very high level of accountability. She easily handles any patient who may roll through our doors.
Cheryl is very active in the unit. She is an excellent leader and performs the relief charge role with ease. She is also available for committee work when asked. Peers and physicians view Cheryl as a leader and an excellent resource. She brings many smiles when she comes to work, as often she brings homemade treats for the staff.
Cheryl is an example of one of the most caring and compassionate nurses I know. The lives she touches every day while she works are changed forever from her extraordinary ways. She is an excellent example of our CORE values here at Iowa Health and would be an excellent nurse to receive the DAISY Award.
Cheryl goes above and beyond consistently. She is a member of CCU’s leadership team and consistently volunteers when needed. Recently she helped abstract data for a CCU project involving the APACHE acuity system. Along with several critical care nurses from IH-DM, Cheryl attended AACN’s National Teaching Institute in Chicago. The group objective was to bring learning opportunities back to their respective critical care units. Cheryl is coordinating this and will present a PowerPoint presentation she created at ICU collaborative as well as unit meetings. She wasn’t asked to do this, she volunteered and she will drive changes as a result of her experience. On a personal note Cheryl regularly drives to Marshalltown, a trip of more than 50 miles to help her mother care for ailing father. Cheryl is the epitome of a caregiver. IH-DM is privileged to have a lot of great nurses but in my experience Cheryl Halterman is the best.