A simple act of kindness sparked the General Surgery Clinic Staff to nominate Pediatric Clinic Nurse, Deb Goodrich, LPN, for The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. On November 21, Linda von Reyn announced Goodrich as the November recipient of the award noting that she is “a perfect example of when a nurse goes above and beyond” and to recognize how important that is.
In August, the General Surgery Clinic staff was caring for a patient who was paralyzed in all his extremities and he needed to be moved from his motorized wheelchair to an exam table. The patient uses a Hoyer lift, which needs to be hand cranked and released as the unit is rolled along the floor while he’s positioned in a cloth sling and is suspended in the air. On this particular day, Goodrich knew this patient was being seen in the clinic during her lunch break and decided to offer her help in the transfer. Prior to working in the Pediatric Clinic, Goodrich worked as a charge nurse in a ventilation unit of a rehabilitation facility. At the rehabilitation facility she had experience with paralyzed individuals and had often used older equipment like the Hoyer lift. An acquaintance of the family, Goodrich knew that the patient often becomes anxious when being transferred and positioned. “Especially if those who are doing the transfer are unfamiliar with his old style equipment,” she explained.
Kandy Seace, RN, one of the nominators remembers Goodrich offering help that day. Seace explained that the process of transferring this patient in a way that he felt secure demands that “you be patient, safety conscious, flexible in your thinking, and have a personal character and warm sense of humor.” Seace pointed out that Goodrich possessed all of these characteristics. “She engaged this gentleman into conversation and quickly gained his trust. He was able to relax and trust her knowledge on transfers allowing her to call the shots instead of feeling the need to control all the moves, which can be time consuming and exhausting,” noted Seace. By sharing her experience and expertise with the General Surgery Clinic staff Goodrich was able to help them expedite the transfer while reassuring the patient that he was in good hands. “I was really impressed with her ability to walk into a room of folks she had not met before and make us feel like we have known her forever. She is simply a great example of what we should all strive to emulate,” noted Seace.
Goodrich, like many caregivers appreciated the honor but was quick to dismiss her deserving it over anyone else. In nursing school she said she learned, “that we are to take care of all patients.” Despite whom a patient is assigned to or what department they belong in Goodrich believes, “If there is a need, as a nurse, any patient is my patient. Maybe this is old school thinking, but it is the only thinking I know.”