Danielle Levy
February 2020
Danielle
Levy
,
BSN, RN
Mixed Medical / Oncology
Northern Westchester Hospital
Mount Kisco
,
NY
United States
Danielle's appreciation for the science and art of nursing shines through in everything she does, and her qualities and abilities truly embody the DAISY philosophy,
Danielle began her nursing career at Northern Westchester hospital in 2003 as a nurse on a medical-surgical unit. She transferred to the Pediatric unit in 2007 and has honed the care she provides her littlest patients and their families over the years, She has developed into a mentor and role model to both experienced and novice staff. Her compassion for patients has always been evident, but in recent months she has had two unique opportunities to demonstrate her dedication to the holistic approach to care.
The first patient care experience involved a 15-year-old boy with metastatic sarcoma. This child had never been a patient here at Northern Westchester, and his parents had been referred to our facility from hospice for a transfusion in efforts to improve his quality of life and comfort. As a unit, we immediately wanted to help this family but knew there were some hurdles to get over as the unit had never cared for a pediatric hospice patient. Arrangements needed to be made ahead of time, through the physicians, registration, blood bank, etc. Once we were sure we could accommodate this family and offer the needed treatment, the issue of who would care for this very sick child needed to be answered. The Nurse Manager did not hesitate when she selected Danielle to be the nurse dedicated solely to the care of this patient and his family on that day. She called Danielle and spoke with her about this child, and the plan for his care, to see if she was ready to care for him. Without hesitation, Danielle responded that she wanted to help this family and actually thanked her Manager for the unique opportunity.
The patient arrived, and as expected was very weak, pale, and his family fragile. Danielle was strong and able to intuitively connect with his mother. The child's mother shared pictures of her son, who had just recently attended prom as a healthy high school student. Her compassionate care and dedication touched the family deeply through their tragic time. His transfusion ran late, and Danielle's shift was coming to an end. Danielle's compassion and care for this family continued as she was committed to providing seamless care. She insisted on staying with this family through discharge, missing time with her own family, including her 3 kids. The Nurse Manager reached out to the family the next day to inquire as to how her child was doing. She left a very grateful voicemail thanking all the staff at Northern Westchester Hospital, and especially Danielle, for going out of their way to treat her son, whom they had never met. She said he did seem to be more comfortable after the transfusion.
The second patient and family-centered care experience we would like to share involved a 5-week old baby who came to the Pediatric unit for what initially appeared to be a routine "rule out sepsis" diagnosis. Danielle was one of the nurses caring for this infant. During the course of the baby's stay, Danielle noted some abnormalities with the urine test and brought this to the attention of the Pediatric Hospitalist. An ultrasound was ordered and performed, showing an adrenal mass. What was thought to be a simple infection, was now being diagnosed as a tumor. Danielle accompanied the Pediatric Hospitalist to the bedside while she explained the devastating news to this new mother. The hospitalist explained that the infant required a transfer to Maria Ferrari Children's Hospital for further diagnostic testing. Danielle recognized that this mother was alone, and her husband had gone home. She called the other nurse on the unit, informed her that she would be staying in this room with this mother until the baby's father could come back. She pulled up a chair and sat with this devastated mother. Once again, Danielle demonstrated her holistic approach with love and patience, staying at the bedside and comforting the parents through their fear and grief. The parents took the time to write a letter thanking the care team, especially Danielle, for the exceptional care.
Danielle has always been a compassionate, skilled nurse. These stories are not isolated, but a mere sample of the care she provides each shift.
When hearing of Danielle Levy's nomination, The Chair of Emergency Medicine, had the following to say:
"Danielle Levy is certainly A DAISY Nurse. She takes great care of her patients and always keeps the physician and ACP informed of the patient's status and needs. Danielle is extremely patient and kind and is often the "go-to nurse" for the most challenging cases. I had a patient recently on observation who was a very difficult IV placement but needed an antecubital IV for a CT angiogram. The IV team nurse came but was unable to place an IV. Danielle gave it a try and successfully placed the IV fine. The alternative was a central line, which would have exposed the patient to unnecessary risks. Her skill and compassion impact patients in a positive way every time she comes to work. And she does it all with a smile."
Danielle began her nursing career at Northern Westchester hospital in 2003 as a nurse on a medical-surgical unit. She transferred to the Pediatric unit in 2007 and has honed the care she provides her littlest patients and their families over the years, She has developed into a mentor and role model to both experienced and novice staff. Her compassion for patients has always been evident, but in recent months she has had two unique opportunities to demonstrate her dedication to the holistic approach to care.
The first patient care experience involved a 15-year-old boy with metastatic sarcoma. This child had never been a patient here at Northern Westchester, and his parents had been referred to our facility from hospice for a transfusion in efforts to improve his quality of life and comfort. As a unit, we immediately wanted to help this family but knew there were some hurdles to get over as the unit had never cared for a pediatric hospice patient. Arrangements needed to be made ahead of time, through the physicians, registration, blood bank, etc. Once we were sure we could accommodate this family and offer the needed treatment, the issue of who would care for this very sick child needed to be answered. The Nurse Manager did not hesitate when she selected Danielle to be the nurse dedicated solely to the care of this patient and his family on that day. She called Danielle and spoke with her about this child, and the plan for his care, to see if she was ready to care for him. Without hesitation, Danielle responded that she wanted to help this family and actually thanked her Manager for the unique opportunity.
The patient arrived, and as expected was very weak, pale, and his family fragile. Danielle was strong and able to intuitively connect with his mother. The child's mother shared pictures of her son, who had just recently attended prom as a healthy high school student. Her compassionate care and dedication touched the family deeply through their tragic time. His transfusion ran late, and Danielle's shift was coming to an end. Danielle's compassion and care for this family continued as she was committed to providing seamless care. She insisted on staying with this family through discharge, missing time with her own family, including her 3 kids. The Nurse Manager reached out to the family the next day to inquire as to how her child was doing. She left a very grateful voicemail thanking all the staff at Northern Westchester Hospital, and especially Danielle, for going out of their way to treat her son, whom they had never met. She said he did seem to be more comfortable after the transfusion.
The second patient and family-centered care experience we would like to share involved a 5-week old baby who came to the Pediatric unit for what initially appeared to be a routine "rule out sepsis" diagnosis. Danielle was one of the nurses caring for this infant. During the course of the baby's stay, Danielle noted some abnormalities with the urine test and brought this to the attention of the Pediatric Hospitalist. An ultrasound was ordered and performed, showing an adrenal mass. What was thought to be a simple infection, was now being diagnosed as a tumor. Danielle accompanied the Pediatric Hospitalist to the bedside while she explained the devastating news to this new mother. The hospitalist explained that the infant required a transfer to Maria Ferrari Children's Hospital for further diagnostic testing. Danielle recognized that this mother was alone, and her husband had gone home. She called the other nurse on the unit, informed her that she would be staying in this room with this mother until the baby's father could come back. She pulled up a chair and sat with this devastated mother. Once again, Danielle demonstrated her holistic approach with love and patience, staying at the bedside and comforting the parents through their fear and grief. The parents took the time to write a letter thanking the care team, especially Danielle, for the exceptional care.
Danielle has always been a compassionate, skilled nurse. These stories are not isolated, but a mere sample of the care she provides each shift.
When hearing of Danielle Levy's nomination, The Chair of Emergency Medicine, had the following to say:
"Danielle Levy is certainly A DAISY Nurse. She takes great care of her patients and always keeps the physician and ACP informed of the patient's status and needs. Danielle is extremely patient and kind and is often the "go-to nurse" for the most challenging cases. I had a patient recently on observation who was a very difficult IV placement but needed an antecubital IV for a CT angiogram. The IV team nurse came but was unable to place an IV. Danielle gave it a try and successfully placed the IV fine. The alternative was a central line, which would have exposed the patient to unnecessary risks. Her skill and compassion impact patients in a positive way every time she comes to work. And she does it all with a smile."