Ellen Dunton
July 2018
Ellen
Dunton
,
RN
5 West ART - Digestive Disease
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston
,
SC
United States
Ellen is an unbelievable nurse. She has been with us since the beginning on 5 West ART and I remember all starting together as new grads and I used to look at her and think, "Man, I wish I could have it together as much as that girl." As we progressed she has shown just how much of a leader she is. She is a CSL on our unit and is constantly working to improve things. She is always offering a helping hand and frequently mentors new nurses to make them feel welcome on 5 West.
The other day we had a patient on our unit who was very upset with her plan and frustrated about miscommunication with the physicians. She got the house supervisor, the hospitalist, and resident from the consulting team to the bedside on night shift (which is not an easy feat) to talk with the family for over an hour, outlining the plan of care, and ultimately the family was complimentary of the staff and what had been done. Meanwhile, we had complications with 4 other patients and Ellen was willing to jump in and help in every room without being asked! She dropped an NG tube, got an impossible IV, dealt with an autistic patient, and had a smile the entire time. She is a huge reason that the patients were kept safe that night. During this organized chaos, she took the visiting med student under her wing and answered all the questions she had while the primary nurse was at CT that night.
She is never impatient when bombarded with questions from new nurses, doctors, family members or patients. Ellen provides excellent care to patients and staff members alike, all while keeping a smile on her face. She is an extraordinary nurse and an exemplary role model to those around her. She absolutely exemplifies all that MUSC nursing is: collaborates with all staff members, shows empathy even in difficult situations, advocates for better care for patients and families, and is an innovator. She is the Epic champion and is also spearheading a delirium initiative during a time when we needed ideas for preventing falls. In the whirlwind that is your first year of nursing, Ellen has been one of the RNs who keeps us afloat. After working with her for 2 years, I still look at her and think, "I want to be more like that."
The other day we had a patient on our unit who was very upset with her plan and frustrated about miscommunication with the physicians. She got the house supervisor, the hospitalist, and resident from the consulting team to the bedside on night shift (which is not an easy feat) to talk with the family for over an hour, outlining the plan of care, and ultimately the family was complimentary of the staff and what had been done. Meanwhile, we had complications with 4 other patients and Ellen was willing to jump in and help in every room without being asked! She dropped an NG tube, got an impossible IV, dealt with an autistic patient, and had a smile the entire time. She is a huge reason that the patients were kept safe that night. During this organized chaos, she took the visiting med student under her wing and answered all the questions she had while the primary nurse was at CT that night.
She is never impatient when bombarded with questions from new nurses, doctors, family members or patients. Ellen provides excellent care to patients and staff members alike, all while keeping a smile on her face. She is an extraordinary nurse and an exemplary role model to those around her. She absolutely exemplifies all that MUSC nursing is: collaborates with all staff members, shows empathy even in difficult situations, advocates for better care for patients and families, and is an innovator. She is the Epic champion and is also spearheading a delirium initiative during a time when we needed ideas for preventing falls. In the whirlwind that is your first year of nursing, Ellen has been one of the RNs who keeps us afloat. After working with her for 2 years, I still look at her and think, "I want to be more like that."