Lisa recognizes self-care needs of co-workers and provides assistance as needed. She "takes one for the team" is a statement she makes on a daily basis. If nursing is a team sport, Lisa is at the top of her game, and she hits it out of the park every day. Nursing is no longer about just taking care of the patient. It is about taking care of a whole team, and this team consists of the housekeepers, registrars, nurses, doctors, and most notably, our patients and their families.
There is a nurse in our clinic who recognizes the needs of all the people in our clinic, and she steps up to the plate to provide assistance as needed and demonstrates the value of teamwork in her attitude and caring practices each and every day. The caring practices by Lisa create a synergy with the characteristic needs of everyone in the clinic to create exceptional outcomes for the whole team. From the moment she walks through the door, her quick steps, contagious laugh and warm greetings of good morning change the whole attitude in our clinic.
I feel that she is genuinely happy to see me and that my best friend has just arrived. I must admit, however, that I think everyone in our clinic also believes she is a best friend as well because she makes everyone feel we are part of a team.
Lisa knows how to perform a wide range of the work responsibilities in our clinic, so if during the morning report we happen to be short an MA or nurse, she routinely volunteers to fill in for their duties in addition to her own. During a typically hectic morning as the phones are ringing, the in-basket is full, and the triage nurse is busy, she can be seen busily working on the messages.
Furthermore, when we decided to extend our clinic hours, she volunteered to be the one to stay late with the doctor. Another example of her generous nature was clear when one of the registration ladies recently found out her husband had terminal cancer, and Lisa gave eight hours of PTO to her so she could take one last vacation with him. She also gave our housekeeper eight hours of PTO after her husband suddenly died. The patients and families love her and know she will do anything for them.
On one occasion, a family arrived three hours early for their appointment and had a lot of time to wait. They had not brought money with them, so they could not go to the cafeteria. When Lisa realized the family's predicament, she dug through her purse looking for cash but had none. She then went to the gift shop and purchased a $20 gift card with her badge and gave it to them, so they could go to the cafeteria and eat while they waited. This example, moreover, is not an isolated event.
Lisa takes care of everyone in our clinic, and I have often noticed that when she volunteers to do things, she always says: "I'll take one for the team." This positive and generous attitude demonstrates her commitment to our clinic and her belief that we are a team. Dayton Children's is lucky to have an employee with such caring practices and team-player attitude.
The caring practices demonstrated by Lisa creates a synergy with the characteristic needs of the team which creates exceptional outcomes. By stepping up to the plate and taking one for the team, Lisa creates a synergy that knocks it out of the park making Dayton Children's a winning team and the first choice for children's health.