Heidi demonstrates the VA's I CARE Principles of Integrity, Care, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence in her daily encounters with veterans, veteran's families, and Phoenix VAMC staff.
She provides extraordinary service to our patients at the Chronic Pain Wellness Center through her compassion, thoughtfulness, and caring. As a case manager, she is organized and efficient, and serves as a role model for our nursing profession. She provides a culture of safety at all times through her keen awareness of difficult patient situations.
Heidi can be seen conversing with veterans and attending to their needs, preparing the exam rooms for a patient's convenience and comfort, and calling veterans when they have questions about their care. She goes above and beyond expectations and utilized critical thinking skills in her daily work. She greets each veteran with respect and treats each patient with dignity. She will assist all veterans in any way that is needed and offers water or coffee to them when appropriate, which is in alignment with Jean Watson's caring concept of assisting basic needs, administering 'human care essentials with an intention caring consciousness.'
Heidi's presence in our educational programs is vital to the smooth operation of the classes, since she is supportive of the expression of veteran's positive and negative feelings and attentive to the needs of participants as well as the mediators.
Her dependability and honesty demonstrate the principle of integrity. Her moral commitment to protect our veteran's dignity supports Watson's principles of creating transpersonal caring relationships.
Heidi exhibits exemplary patience for patients who are often in challenging situations with their pain care plan and points out the goodness in each of our veterans. As a veteran herself, she exhibits immense dedication to her military service and serves in her Army duties with enthusiasm and pride.
Utilizing Dr. Jean Watson's Caring Theory, Heidi establishes a caring relationship with our Chronic Pain Wellness patients. Using a 'whole-person' approach, she delivers exceptional patient care and utilizes emotional and psychosocial approaches to her patient encounters, establishing a helping-trusting relationship. She listens respectfully with genuine concern for other and demonstrates interest in others, including staff.
One of Heidi's duties is to teach the Opioid Overdose Prevention education/Naloxone distribution. She conducts this class in a non-judgmental manner, creating a healing environment and utilizing the veteran's frame of reference.
Heidi demonstrates advocacy for veterans through her friendly demeanor and her superior listening skills. She is approachable with all patients for their concerns and questions. She displays Watson's Caring Theory by creating a caring environment for her co-workers at the Chronic Pain Wellness Center which can often be a stressful atmosphere. I believe that the family of J. Patrick Barnes would appreciate Heidi Otis' admirable caring and compassionate dedication to our patients.