Danielle
Sastre
June 2025
Danielle
Sastre
,
MSN, RN, CCRN
JFK University Medical Center
Edison
,
NJ
United States
Never once did she make me feel unknowledgeable or undeserving. Every shift, she worked hard to find learning opportunities. She encouraged me with grace and compassion, providing the extra push I needed to develop skills I wouldn’t have achieved without it.
Danielle has truly been a mentor to me on my return to JFK. Whenever I showed interest in taking care of more complex patients, she always made sure I was equipped with the confidence to do so. When I had the opportunity to train in Hackensack in the PICU, she made the transition seamless and made sure I was comfortable. I know that when I encounter a case that I am unfamiliar with, I know I can always reach out to Danielle, although most of the time she is already touching base with me to make sure I’m ok. I value Danielle’s advice and guidance as I look into advancing in my education and nursing career. Having Danielle as our educator is an asset to our team as we navigate the future at JFK.
***
When I first started working here late last fall, I was nervous about both my lack of experience and coming from a workplace where I knew everyone. Danielle from day 1 made me feel welcome and supported. Never once did she make me feel unknowledgeable or undeserving. Every shift, she worked hard to find learning opportunities. She encouraged me with grace and compassion, providing the extra push I needed to develop skills I wouldn’t have achieved without it. Often in those moments, I would be terrified, but she would always guide me through each step and show me that I was capable. She motivated me to pay attention to the details and taught me more than what was required of her. Even now she stays late to explain a concept to me or just to support me doing an IV. She made it clear that she wouldn’t stop mentoring me even if I was “on my own”. I know she will always run to come help. I struggled in the beginning. I was lonely, and I missed my past coworkers with whom I’d become very close. Danielle was one of the first people here to make me feel truly welcome, to let me be excited to come to work again. I was excited to learn again, and she was constantly there to encourage me in every step.
***
Danielle and I started working here at JFK around the same time, hired to help grow and improve the unit. So I have had the privilege and honor of working closely with Dabielle in this mission, witnessing her dedication firsthand. Danielle has developed from scratch specific education for the unit team members. She has collaborated with other departments, bringing them in to really help the education aspect of our mission. Specifically, she has collaborated with the respiratory department, allowing our team to get hands-on experience with different respiratory equipment and get a better understanding of the physiologic reasoning for our medical management of these patients. I think this approach really helped to provide a better hands-on education experience. On selected occasions, she has come in as early as 530am and has stayed as late as 8pm. Her dedication to the unit, the growth of our team members, and the care of our patients is unmatched. She is constantly present on the floor, serving as a clinical resource to our team. She has taken some of our new hires under her wing, directly mentoring them beyond her responsibilities as an educator. Danielle has gone above and beyond for our unit to provide support clinically, put in long hours, to ensure that our mission of growth and improvement continues. Danielle’s clear passion is in education and pediatrics. Prior to the closing of PSCU, she worked closely with the pediatric leadership team to develop and initiate a cross-training program with HUMC in an effort to provide an orientation program for higher acuity pediatric patients. When looking at the suggested criteria of this award nomination, Danielle meets every criterion. Her passion and dedication to JFKUMC, to the unit, our team, and our patients are irrefutable.
***
When I first started working here late last fall, I was nervous about both my lack of experience and coming from a workplace where I knew everyone. Danielle from day 1 made me feel welcome and supported. Never once did she make me feel unknowledgeable or undeserving. Every shift, she worked hard to find learning opportunities. She encouraged me with grace and compassion, providing the extra push I needed to develop skills I wouldn’t have achieved without it. Often in those moments, I would be terrified, but she would always guide me through each step and show me that I was capable. She motivated me to pay attention to the details and taught me more than what was required of her. Even now she stays late to explain a concept to me or just to support me doing an IV. She made it clear that she wouldn’t stop mentoring me even if I was “on my own”. I know she will always run to come help. I struggled in the beginning. I was lonely, and I missed my past coworkers with whom I’d become very close. Danielle was one of the first people here to make me feel truly welcome, to let me be excited to come to work again. I was excited to learn again, and she was constantly there to encourage me in every step.
***
Danielle and I started working here at JFK around the same time, hired to help grow and improve the unit. So I have had the privilege and honor of working closely with Dabielle in this mission, witnessing her dedication firsthand. Danielle has developed from scratch specific education for the unit team members. She has collaborated with other departments, bringing them in to really help the education aspect of our mission. Specifically, she has collaborated with the respiratory department, allowing our team to get hands-on experience with different respiratory equipment and get a better understanding of the physiologic reasoning for our medical management of these patients. I think this approach really helped to provide a better hands-on education experience. On selected occasions, she has come in as early as 530am and has stayed as late as 8pm. Her dedication to the unit, the growth of our team members, and the care of our patients is unmatched. She is constantly present on the floor, serving as a clinical resource to our team. She has taken some of our new hires under her wing, directly mentoring them beyond her responsibilities as an educator. Danielle has gone above and beyond for our unit to provide support clinically, put in long hours, to ensure that our mission of growth and improvement continues. Danielle’s clear passion is in education and pediatrics. Prior to the closing of PSCU, she worked closely with the pediatric leadership team to develop and initiate a cross-training program with HUMC in an effort to provide an orientation program for higher acuity pediatric patients. When looking at the suggested criteria of this award nomination, Danielle meets every criterion. Her passion and dedication to JFKUMC, to the unit, our team, and our patients are irrefutable.