Christine Debnam
March 2020
Christine
Debnam
,
MSN, RNC-NIC, ACCNS-N
Clinical Education - Women's Services
UNC REX Healthcare
Raleigh
,
NC
United States
A true leader has the capacity to help others reach their highest potential through the guidance of organizational goals. Christine utilizes the principles within our hospital mission to help her nurses realize the impact they make on the lives they touch every day.
Christine inspires hope to our staff on a daily basis. Not only does she round on our units every day she is working, but everyone knows she is only a phone call away if needed. She has single-handedly organized avenues to encourage staff nurses to achieve their specialty certification. When we have critical patients on our unit, she is present and available for questions, while always remaining open to opportunities for quality improvement. But more importantly, she encourages us when we do not believe in ourselves. The last three years, we have taken care of the sickest patients we have ever admitted to NICU. Just recently, we cared for 27-week twins who received high-frequency ventilation, multiple blood transfusions, vasopressor drips, and post-op neurosurgical care. Our staff had never taken care of the level of acuity these babies required. Christine never once contemplated our ability to care for these children. She recognized the uncertainties we had within ourselves and helped us overcome the fears of caring for such fragile children. She provided tools, policies, and education needed to realize we could provide these children with everything they needed to achieve the very best outcome. Because of the hope that Christine gave to us, 104 days later, these sweet babies were able to go home with their parents where they are growing and thriving.
Improving health is at the core of what Christine does every single day. Her neonatal bedside experience is invaluable to the education she provides for our NICU staff. Although reluctant to change, our staff began to understand the importance that evidence-based practice can make on quality care. She encourages the frontline staff to be fully involved in policy validation and change. She encourages us to have open honest conversations about how we can improve the care we provide. She is always willing to help us troubleshoot how to improve our practice. She understands the fundamental importance our profession has on the tiniest lives and works side by side with us every day to ensure we are providing the most up-to-date quality care.
Healing communities is Christine's newest journey in which she is embarking. She achieved her post-graduate degree in the area of Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist. She chose to forego her graduation ceremony in May 2019 to ensure there was leadership presence on the unit. It is an honor to work beside a leader like Christine Debnam, and I emphasize the word beside. In true leader form, Christine never takes credit for the successes of our NICU. She is perfectly fine standing in the background, watching others achieve success. Christine truly receives her fulfillment, knowing she contributed to the professional growth of those she works with. She is truly a DAISY Nurse Leader.
Christine inspires hope to our staff on a daily basis. Not only does she round on our units every day she is working, but everyone knows she is only a phone call away if needed. She has single-handedly organized avenues to encourage staff nurses to achieve their specialty certification. When we have critical patients on our unit, she is present and available for questions, while always remaining open to opportunities for quality improvement. But more importantly, she encourages us when we do not believe in ourselves. The last three years, we have taken care of the sickest patients we have ever admitted to NICU. Just recently, we cared for 27-week twins who received high-frequency ventilation, multiple blood transfusions, vasopressor drips, and post-op neurosurgical care. Our staff had never taken care of the level of acuity these babies required. Christine never once contemplated our ability to care for these children. She recognized the uncertainties we had within ourselves and helped us overcome the fears of caring for such fragile children. She provided tools, policies, and education needed to realize we could provide these children with everything they needed to achieve the very best outcome. Because of the hope that Christine gave to us, 104 days later, these sweet babies were able to go home with their parents where they are growing and thriving.
Improving health is at the core of what Christine does every single day. Her neonatal bedside experience is invaluable to the education she provides for our NICU staff. Although reluctant to change, our staff began to understand the importance that evidence-based practice can make on quality care. She encourages the frontline staff to be fully involved in policy validation and change. She encourages us to have open honest conversations about how we can improve the care we provide. She is always willing to help us troubleshoot how to improve our practice. She understands the fundamental importance our profession has on the tiniest lives and works side by side with us every day to ensure we are providing the most up-to-date quality care.
Healing communities is Christine's newest journey in which she is embarking. She achieved her post-graduate degree in the area of Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist. She chose to forego her graduation ceremony in May 2019 to ensure there was leadership presence on the unit. It is an honor to work beside a leader like Christine Debnam, and I emphasize the word beside. In true leader form, Christine never takes credit for the successes of our NICU. She is perfectly fine standing in the background, watching others achieve success. Christine truly receives her fulfillment, knowing she contributed to the professional growth of those she works with. She is truly a DAISY Nurse Leader.