Joanne Young has been a nurse at New York Presbyterian for 42 years. She is loyal and fully devoted to her job as a nurse. Throughout her entire career here, she has always been professional, committed, accountable, compassionate, and a team player. I met Joanne during my orientation. Joanne was an outstanding preceptor. She was always very thorough, and you can immediately tell she was an expert in her field. Joanne welcomed questions and always made you feel comfortable during orientation. Joanne wanted you to get your hands dirty in the sense that after she explained what was needed and thought you had enough exposure, she wanted you to be hands-on with the babies and the moms since there is no better way to learn than by doing it yourself. Joanne is a great mentor and I was so privileged to have had her as one of my preceptors.

Another thing that I will always carry with me is Joanne’s bright, welcoming smile. Whether it was a chaotic day or a rare calm day on the unit, Joanne always faced what was coming with a smile. She took charge and was always fair with the assignment. She never used seniority as an excuse to pass on work but also found ways to serve her patients or her coworkers. Her 42 years of service never chipped away from her character. Joanne always treated her patients with the utmost care, and her empathy for them never wavered. Whenever Jo is on the schedule (sadly for us, no longer after today), you know she would face whatever chaos head-on and would ensure everyone got through the shift together as a team.

Joanne’s willingness to take on extra responsibilities further shows her devotion not only to her job but to her peers. Joanne has been in charge of balancing the schedule for as long as I can remember. She is thorough in keeping everyone accountable to work the appropriate holidays and weekends, and she continues to do so month after month, a task I can attest to, which no one likes to do, but Joanne has never complained about getting it done. Joanne always manages to balance the schedule on time because of the respect, fairness, and trust she has earned from her peers. By doing so, she makes it easier for our manager when it comes time for approval of the schedule. She strives to be fair, transparent, and holds herself and others accountable.

All in all, Joanne has not only earned the respect of her colleagues, but she is very much loved by what became her peers and 6 South work family.