Dawn Middleton
April 2023
Dawn
Middleton
,
BSN, RN, CEN
Adult Emergency Department
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center
Charlotte
,
NC
United States
She inspires us all with her grit and compassion, and she cares deeply for the team and patients.
Dawn is the kind of nurse and leader you truly admire. She possesses the skills needed to care for the most critically ill patients while displaying tremendous compassion for families of patients and patients themselves who find themselves in an extremely vulnerable position at unexpected times. I have personally witnessed her working hard to make environments as optimal as possible when the most unimaginable news is delivered.
You can see, despite all the years in the emergency department, how she continues to care right alongside the patients and their families she promotes leaving everything on the field to try the absolute hardest to save lives. If there is a life lost, it is known that the team did absolutely everything possible to save the patient, and Dawn is right beside the family to help them through these initial stages of loss. Dawn is truly an asset on the nursing leadership team and serves as a role model to peers and teammates. She focuses on the most basic of skills like providing pillows, blankets, or comfort care to the skills of the highest complexity as an exceptionally skilled trauma nurse and leader. She is the first one to say “Team, we got this”, no matter how tough. If there is a critical situation in the department to be managed, you are happy she is there to work alongside the leadership team.
When things don’t go so well, she challenges the team to look and see what can improve and is often heard saying “Team, we are better than this, let’s fix it” which results in a rally around the issue and immediate brainstorming to problem solve as the team trusts her leadership and strives to improve with her guidance and support.
Recently, we had an influx of patients coming in without warm clothing or necessities to be safe from the elements. She immediately jumped at the opportunity to create a plan aimed to gather funds and donations for hats, and gloves, and coats-stating “Everyone should have a coat”. She inspires us all with her grit and compassion, and she cares deeply for the team and patients. If a teammate is in need, she’s the first to organize a meal drive, visit, or other items specific to any scenario. Dawn is truly the definition of a DAISY Nurse Leader and deserves recognition as one of the most exceptional leaders I have met.
You can see, despite all the years in the emergency department, how she continues to care right alongside the patients and their families she promotes leaving everything on the field to try the absolute hardest to save lives. If there is a life lost, it is known that the team did absolutely everything possible to save the patient, and Dawn is right beside the family to help them through these initial stages of loss. Dawn is truly an asset on the nursing leadership team and serves as a role model to peers and teammates. She focuses on the most basic of skills like providing pillows, blankets, or comfort care to the skills of the highest complexity as an exceptionally skilled trauma nurse and leader. She is the first one to say “Team, we got this”, no matter how tough. If there is a critical situation in the department to be managed, you are happy she is there to work alongside the leadership team.
When things don’t go so well, she challenges the team to look and see what can improve and is often heard saying “Team, we are better than this, let’s fix it” which results in a rally around the issue and immediate brainstorming to problem solve as the team trusts her leadership and strives to improve with her guidance and support.
Recently, we had an influx of patients coming in without warm clothing or necessities to be safe from the elements. She immediately jumped at the opportunity to create a plan aimed to gather funds and donations for hats, and gloves, and coats-stating “Everyone should have a coat”. She inspires us all with her grit and compassion, and she cares deeply for the team and patients. If a teammate is in need, she’s the first to organize a meal drive, visit, or other items specific to any scenario. Dawn is truly the definition of a DAISY Nurse Leader and deserves recognition as one of the most exceptional leaders I have met.