In addition to the outstanding care that Eileen Irlich provides patients on a daily basis, she has been involved in several medical crises throughout her career. I have witnessed her performing life-sustaining interventions, and enabled patients to be safely transferred from our rehab unit to the ER. While it can be said that such duties are in the realm of nursing expectations, several things set Eileen apart; she deserves the DAISY Award for these exceptional skills and talents.
Eileen has demonstrated a unique ability to anticipate patients' needs, especially as it relates to pain, increasing their physical strength and endurance, and coping with emotionally driven aspects of their injury/illness. She has engendered trust in the most behaviorally challenged patients, and has been able to enhance their willingness to adhere to treatment and therapy.
Many young spinal cord injured patients, who have the proclivity towards aggressive behavior, have created havoc on the unit of One North. Eileen has developed the ability to set appropriate boundaries, educate, employ strategies that promote redirection and de-escalation, and encourage these patients to remain in treatment. She has prevented staff splitting on many occasions, and has maintained a unified front with her co-workers, not allowing patients to perpetuate dysfunctional dynamics.
I have conferred with her on several occasions, regarding specific transdisciplinary strategies to enhance patient care and treatment adherence. She has participated actively in presentations that promote MossRehab's excellent Nursing care and has educated spinal cord injury professionals at national conferences.