Janet's nomination came from nursing colleagues in Green Bay who wrote:

Integrity: Janet makes a personal choice each and every day to honor the trust and the confidence of the mid-levels and physicians she works with in the urology procedure area. She displays a predictable consistent commitment to make sure that the flow of the room produces positive outcomes for our Veterans. Providers know that Janet has a thorough knowledge of the day's procedures. She wards off any potential problems that may occur through communication, and she makes sure that the physical environment consistently reflects a place where Veterans and fellow staff expectations of 'great care' are met. High quality nursing care is based on solid relationships, and the solid relationships in cysto have Janet as the foundation.

Commitment: Veterans arrive in the urology suite for invasive procedures. Janet's commitment to ensure that their experience meets the VA's mission is exemplary. Janet kindly introduces herself and the team to each and every Veteran. She honors their fears and concerns by answering their questions. Even when the schedule is busy and hectic, she remains calm, and caring with each and every Veteran. Her positive attitude is seen as she holds the Veteran's hand and smiles at him/her warmly. Watching Janet tailor teaching to the level/place of an elderly Veteran until he understood and demonstrated the necessary level of understanding to do his own home care was impressive.

Advocacy: Janet serves the Veterans. She anticipates their home needs. In particular, there was a Veteran who needed a particular catheter in order to be safe at home. After several telephone calls and dead ends, it was clear that Janet was the Veteran's advocate and no' or not my area' was not an acceptable answer. Eventually, the item was obtained, and the patient was discharged with safe and appropriate equipment. She is genuine in her passion for safe, high quality care. She is uncompromising in her commitment to honor the rights of our Veterans.

Respect: Janet provides dignity and respect to the Veterans. She makes sure that each and every patient is properly covered whether it's sitting in a chair talking to the physician or laying on a table exposed. When the urology patients are vulnerable, she makes sure that their needs for privacy and respect are being met. Janet makes sure the environment reflects her attitude for respect by consistently using curtains and wall dividers to protect their privacy.

Excellence: Although Janet always strives for the highest quality in patient care we would like to address her passion for our training. Janet is a leader in urology nursing and she shared her knowledge with us with enthusiasm. Not once, not twice, but seven times with each Green Bay RN. She saw and believed in our vision to bring the best of the best' back to Green Bay. She is not only an excellent instructor, but she is an active listener. Because of her unwavering dedication to urology nursing, she conveyed some positive changes in her department did occur because of our questions. Janet delayed her scheduled annual leave to accommodate our training schedule. She became our advocate, our trainer, our educator, and our friend. Her goal was for us to provide excellent urology care in Green Bay. In addition, she shared inventory lists and surgery preference cards. She developed guidelines and reference sheets for our use in Green Bay. Professionally, she has possession of outstanding clinical knowledge that she was proud to share.