Erica
Dodd
October 2012
Erica
Dodd
,
BSN, RN, RAC-CT
Transitional Care Unit
Transylvania Regional Hospital
Brevard
,
NC
United States
Erica has not provided only one family with extraordinary, compassionate care, but she provides it for all of her patients, who routinely tell me, as her supervisor, how incredible and compassionate and professional she is. She not only takes amazing care of her patients, she manages to take care of her co-workers as well, by making herself available to help during busy times, and making sure everyone has the knowledge and equipment necessary to perform their jobs.
We recently had a tornado warning that required moving the patients on her unit into the hall so they could be away from the windows in their rooms. As you can imagine, this was very scary for some of our patients. There was a very elderly, frail little lady who was really scared. Because Erica was in charge of moving several patients and there was no staff available to sit with the patient initially, Erica positioned the beds side by side in the hallway so that this lady could hold hands with another patient. She reassured the patient she would come to sit with her as soon as she could, and placed the two ladies' hands together. Once Erica had all her patients safely in the hallway, she returned to the scared patient, took her hand, and sang to her to bring her comfort. The patient was incredibly comforted and grateful.
In order to make sure her patients are safe, she initiates a leadership role and exhibits the ultimate professionalism by educating the nursing staff when she discovers a need for improvement. She makes sure the proper managers are notified, but Erica does not leave or stop until issues are addressed, and she is assured her patients are safe.
In true nursing fashion, she is flexible, volunteering to cover extra shifts when staffing is short. Her focus and personal mission of providing excellence in nursing care is always evident in the exceptional, compassionate care she delivers.
She truly raises the bar for all nurses, and it is an honor to both work with her, and to nominate her for this most distinguished award.
I nominate Erica Dodd for the DAISY Award as she exemplifies excellent patient centered care and professionalism.
My 94 year old mother had a stroke and was admitted to Transylvania Regional Hospital. She entered through the emergency room and was in acute care for 4 days. She then was transferred to the Transitional Care Unit for rehabilitation. While she received great care in all the areas of the continuum there is one nurse who went over and above to be sure that my mother's needs were met, Erica Dodd. Following the stroke one of the most challenging deficits my mother experienced was her inability to verbally communicate her needs. While she was verbal, she was unable to state her discomfort and mostly reported "I'm fine" when asked by the nurses. As a result her family and care givers became her voice. It was quickly noted that staff members preferred to listen to the sweet lady in the chair instead of her concerned family members. Care became somewhat disjointed as each nurse approached her situation differently. Erica saw what was happening and was proactive to clarify the orders with the physicians and listen to the family to come up with a consistent plan for mom.
Erica educated her team members and communicated the care plan with the staff to assure that consistency was met. She followed up on days when she was not staffing to evaluate the plan. When mom was discharged home, Erica took the time to type up a complex care plan for the family and her care givers to follow at home to be sure that complications did not arise and that she would be well cared for. (This was an extra teaching sheet beside the normal discharge papers) As a family member, we often feel we are at the mercy of the medical team to do what is best for our loved ones. We hope and pray that the team will recognize the changes that we see and will respond in an appropriate way. Erica did this for us! She listened, she was caring and respectful and she responded in a most loving way. We are grateful to her and feel she is most deserving of the DAISY Award.
We recently had a tornado warning that required moving the patients on her unit into the hall so they could be away from the windows in their rooms. As you can imagine, this was very scary for some of our patients. There was a very elderly, frail little lady who was really scared. Because Erica was in charge of moving several patients and there was no staff available to sit with the patient initially, Erica positioned the beds side by side in the hallway so that this lady could hold hands with another patient. She reassured the patient she would come to sit with her as soon as she could, and placed the two ladies' hands together. Once Erica had all her patients safely in the hallway, she returned to the scared patient, took her hand, and sang to her to bring her comfort. The patient was incredibly comforted and grateful.
In order to make sure her patients are safe, she initiates a leadership role and exhibits the ultimate professionalism by educating the nursing staff when she discovers a need for improvement. She makes sure the proper managers are notified, but Erica does not leave or stop until issues are addressed, and she is assured her patients are safe.
In true nursing fashion, she is flexible, volunteering to cover extra shifts when staffing is short. Her focus and personal mission of providing excellence in nursing care is always evident in the exceptional, compassionate care she delivers.
She truly raises the bar for all nurses, and it is an honor to both work with her, and to nominate her for this most distinguished award.
I nominate Erica Dodd for the DAISY Award as she exemplifies excellent patient centered care and professionalism.
My 94 year old mother had a stroke and was admitted to Transylvania Regional Hospital. She entered through the emergency room and was in acute care for 4 days. She then was transferred to the Transitional Care Unit for rehabilitation. While she received great care in all the areas of the continuum there is one nurse who went over and above to be sure that my mother's needs were met, Erica Dodd. Following the stroke one of the most challenging deficits my mother experienced was her inability to verbally communicate her needs. While she was verbal, she was unable to state her discomfort and mostly reported "I'm fine" when asked by the nurses. As a result her family and care givers became her voice. It was quickly noted that staff members preferred to listen to the sweet lady in the chair instead of her concerned family members. Care became somewhat disjointed as each nurse approached her situation differently. Erica saw what was happening and was proactive to clarify the orders with the physicians and listen to the family to come up with a consistent plan for mom.
Erica educated her team members and communicated the care plan with the staff to assure that consistency was met. She followed up on days when she was not staffing to evaluate the plan. When mom was discharged home, Erica took the time to type up a complex care plan for the family and her care givers to follow at home to be sure that complications did not arise and that she would be well cared for. (This was an extra teaching sheet beside the normal discharge papers) As a family member, we often feel we are at the mercy of the medical team to do what is best for our loved ones. We hope and pray that the team will recognize the changes that we see and will respond in an appropriate way. Erica did this for us! She listened, she was caring and respectful and she responded in a most loving way. We are grateful to her and feel she is most deserving of the DAISY Award.