Deepthi has been a nurse since 2013 where she first started her career as a psychiatric nurse. In 2015, she was hired by New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell as a Clinical Nurse on a Medicine/Stepdown Unit. Her psychiatric nursing experience and knowledge have been indispensable on 11 South A where many medically sick patients have underlying psychiatric disorders.
In 2018, she became a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). In May 2018, she went to Boston to attend the AACN Conference. There, she expanded and refined her clinical knowledge and built relationships with other AACN members. She then shared her gained knowledge with her co-workers on 11 South A. Currently, she is enrolled to secure a Master's Degree in Nursing Education from Wagner College. Recently certified in medical-surgical nursing, she possesses the BC-RN certification, which helps to validate the nurses' knowledge, skills, and abilities as a proficient medical-surgical nurse.
As a senior staff member, Deepthi commits herself to guide and aide new 11 South A staff nurses. To both seasoned and new nurses, she has consistently modeled safe and caring nursing practice. She helps empower her patients and their families by working with them to establish daily goals. In her four years at NYP, she has been charge nurse for three. She makes herself available to patients, patient's families, her peers, and her supervisors. Even during the most stressful moments, Deepthi is calm, clear and directive. She is a joy to work with and has the ability to manage emergencies (Codes, Rapid Responses, deaths, etc.) with grace. She has an infectious personality and she genuinely cares for her co-workers in the same way she cares for her patients. The night staff considers her to be its "Unit Rock."
Deepthi is an extraordinary collaborator and a patient advocate. Recently, a female patient was admitted to 11SA for severe hepatic encephalopathy. Two days after her admission, her son was admitted for metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma across the hallway. Shortly after his admission, because his prognosis was extremely poor, he was designated "comfort care." The family was trying to toggle between their two loved ones. For several nights, Deepthi was charge nurse. As the son's condition deteriorated, it became evident that he could die at any moment. Deepthi then contacted PPOC to transport the mother to her son's adjoining room so that the family could be together as the son died. Deepthi made sure the mother had the chance to say goodbye to her son. Filled with gratitude, the family wrote a letter thanking the staff, specifically Deepthi. Her ability to collaborate with PPOC and the medical team created a profound moment for this family and helped a grieving mother say her final goodbyes to her son.
Deepthi is very much involved on the floor. She is part of the scheduling committee, where she works to coordinate shifts for nurses and nurses' aides. Recently, unit management recognized her via the "Everyday Amazing" program for catching an issue with a nurse's assignment--one nurse had been assigned too many critically ill patients. Deepthi knew that these patients would not get the care they needed if one nurse was responsible for both of them. It was just too much. She promptly changed each nurses' assignment so that the patients' acuity was evenly distributed. Deeepthi is the "Falls Committee" co-chair. This committee's work aims to reduce falls by utilizing bed alarms, frequent patient rounds, and implementing early toileting for fall risk patients.
We are lucky to have a nurse like Deepthi on our floor and she deserves to be recognized for all her hard work.