Lacey is the epitome of a DAISY Nurse Leader. With a little over four years' experience, she has made a lasting impact that some nurses take a career to do. Lacey is conscientious, an advocate for her patients, an educator and a leader among her peers. This letter cannot do justice to really represent the nurse that Lacey has become.
Lacey began her career at Cincinnati Children's Hospital on a psychiatric unit. Within her first year, she transitioned to a general medical unit. Lacey quickly displayed her expert clinical skills by caring for the most acute to the most complex patient on the unit. Lacey doesn't hesitate to ask questions in order to develop herself. She never fails to advocate for her patients to ensure they receive the best care possible. She collaborates with other care team members and encourages families to voice their questions and concerns. Due to the development of her communication skills while in psychiatry, she is a great communicator. She quickly identifies a deteriorating patient and collaborates with the team to provide interventions. Lacey often serves in the resource role on the unit. In this role, she assists and mentors others, helping in any way she can. Lacey is a great preceptor. This past year, Lacey was the primary preceptor for a co-op student. She was able to share her expertise and role model what excellent care looks like.
Our unit has had a goal of decreasing our patient call light response time. We have worked on this goal for at least two years, trying many different interventions during that time. Lacey was selected from a group of three nurses to represent CCHMC as a nurse exchange to a hospital in Miami. While at this Miami hospital, Lacey heard that a unit was providing to families the phone number for the RN and PCA which ultimately led to a decrease in the response time. Lacey was so excited to begin this, she was texting her Director while still on her assignment in Miami. Upon her return, Lacey met with the Director of the unit to share this new intervention. The intervention was presented to the unit Shared Governance council and testing began. In just a few short months, this intervention quickly impacted the unit meeting and exceeding the response goal. This intervention was first met with some resistance from staff but Lacey did not waver in continuing to lead this project. She held weekly huddles to hear and discuss barriers as well as successes. She encouraged and spoke with her resistant peers and continued to slowly spread the process across the unit, developing and gaining champions along the way. Lacey recently was asked to present this work at a Patient Services leadership meeting. She has also begun to meet with leadership from other units for the potential spread of this intervention.
Lacey has been the Chair of the unit Shared Governance council for FY 19. Not only did she lead the group to the solution of the call light response time, but she also led a survey for staff regarding self-scheduling, and more recently has been leading the group to pilot RN handoff at the bedside. Due to Lacey's leadership, successes and ability to provide input, she has been invited by our CNO to be a part of an apparent cause analysis.
Lacey completed her Masters of Nursing in Education. For her capstone project, she created and distributed education and tips for ensuring patients education was documented. The education record can be cumbersome and difficult for staff to navigate. Lacey created reminder signs for computers, created a powerpoint for education and would individually work with staff to ensure their understanding of how to document patient-specific education.
Lacey continues to seek opportunities to grow as a professional nurse. She is currently taking classes to become an acute care pediatric nurse practitioner with an estimated graduation date of August 2019. She was just appointed as Chair of Comprehensive Coordinated Council which is a tenant of our organization's Shared Governance Model. As the tenant's chair, Lacey will develop and execute a comprehensive shared care plan that encompasses the medical, social, developmental, emotional, spiritual, educational and financial needs of those served to achieve optimal outcomes.
Lacey provides exceptional care at the bedside. Her care delivery is with kindness and compassion. She provides a gentle voice and touch to her patients and families. She develops relationships that are positive, therapeutic and professional. Her strong skills in communication make her an amazing advocate and voice for her patients and families. She encourages and invites questions and is very detailed in her care and care delivery. Patients and families recognize Lacey as being kind and keeping them informed of the plan of care throughout the day. Lacey asks about and addresses patient and family expectations. She communicates clearly and meets patient and family needs. One such example we will call ED. ED is a medically complex patient with a trach, GT, ostomy and PICC line. Even when healthy, ED has a long list of care needs that cover almost every body system. While caring for ED, Lacey reflected on emergency trach care and her comfort level with it. She had assisted Respiratory Therapists with replacing trachs but never had taken the lead with doing this skill. She reached out to the unit educator to look for an opportunity to change a trach on a patient rather than just a simulation with a doll. By Lacey taking the initiative, she was able to provide a good learning experience for herself and the confidence to perform safe trach care. As Lacey worked through all of ED's care needs, she learned the way the mother preferred for her child's care to be done. Lacey began to mimic ED's home routine. Lacey built a relationship with the mother which was supportive and nurturing. The mother began to share other aspects of her life with Lacey and nominated Lacey for a DAISY Award. This mother wrote of Lacey, "She is always on with a smile and there to listen". This is such a great compliment and testament to the nurse Lacey has become.
Lacey is an overall exceptional nurse. She shines at the point of care and is a recognized leader, mentor, and resource. She is an advocate for change and innovation. It is a great honor to recognize Lacey with The DAISY Nurse Leader Award for all her hard work, accomplishments and dedication over the past years.