Jeannie Baldwin from ICU has had a remarkable effect on the entire nursing work environment and unit atmosphere both in ICU and on Telemetry. In addition to an impressive level of experience and expertise, she brings us a remarkable attitude about her work. Jeannie has repeatedly taken newer nurses under her wing, nurturing and encouraging a real hunger for information and new learning. She single handedly assembled a CCRN preparation course that has resulted in an astounding 100% pass rate for our candidates admitted to the exam. This even includes travel nurses who have been here for some of the teaching. In some cases they never had the confidence to challenge the test before working here. She modestly tries to give everyone else credit for this, but teaching in the atmosphere she creates is like hitting slow balls coming right over the plate. When our sister hospitals inevitably try to pirate our newly minted CCRN's, they have been opting to stay with us. I believe this is because of the atmosphere she has helped to create in our ICU. Currently, in the absence of a Nurse Manager, I really think she has been instrumental in holding things together. The unit cohesiveness has never faltered.

She is presently hard at work on a disease-oriented symposium series planned to start this fall, to be driven entirely by our own nurses. As soon as our folks get their "sea legs" at the podium, the series will be offered to the greater Richmond market. She has fostered a style of mutual support and co-education that makes it an extremely refreshing place to work. The quality of the questions I field from the nurses and their passionate interest in disease mechanisms and physiology are orders of magnitude more sophisticated than my previous experiences in more than 30 years of Critical Care management and teaching.

Jeannie has also conceived, organized and manages an ICU reference library, gathering appropriate books and teaching materials, all of which are in constant use by our RN's and APN's.

All of these fine qualities must share residence with a fertile and abiding interest in the rest of the world, in particular conservation and wildlife biology. Her sense of responsible stewardship doesn't end when she punches out, usually quite late in the day. At present she is pursuing further education in Faith-Based Medical Ministry in addition to her current full time schedule.

Something very special happened to RCH when this Nurse came to work here. Jeannie seems able to bring out the best in everyone around her.