We (Lynette's fellow co-workers) would love to recognize her for her demonstration of consistent excellence in the care of visitors at the Omaha Zoo. It may seem crazy and most think it to be a 'really cool place to work' and that is true. But what some don't realize is the level of stress and degree of intensity we experience on any given day, and you just don't know which days those will be. Lynette has been a Children's nurse for over 40 years and has served the last 7 summers out at the first aid station.
This start to the season, at the zoo, has seemed to be an adventurous one and has started out with a bang. Our crowds and requests for help, in the first aid station, seem to reflect the kind of weather for that day. This particular day would have seemed to have been a pretty uneventful day because it was a nuisance drizzle/rain for most of the day. Lynette set up shop for the day (ice for the bucket, lunch put away in the fridge, and turned on communication radio) and got ready for calls/visitors. Sometime in the 11 o'clock hour, she heard some communication over the radio for a medical emergency by the butterfly house followed by a request for an AED. Lynette grabbed her supplies including the AED and ran for the destination. She arrived at a crowd with a gentleman lying on the ground and chest compressions being performed. Lynette assisted with AED set up and took over compressions for the previous person. Lynette has been a CPR instructor for many years and has certified many, many zoo employees in heart saver CPR/AED skills. Not only did she observe her fellow zoo people performing CPR/AED skills she herself jumped right in and contributed to the life-saving skills they all as a team performed.
Lynette is a compassionate, kind, caring, detailed RN. She helped the lifesaving team come together later, after the incident, to debrief. She praised the team for all the efforts made and allowed them all to talk about the experience. She has also helped with a couple of after-hour events here at the zoo, this season, for prominent groups of Omahans with the opening for the Asian Highlands (new exhibit). She had incidences at both of those events and again assisted with such expertise, efficiency, professionalism, and the most caring heart! She's the kind of nurse who will go into the splash pad area, getting soaking wet, to help an elderly lady who passed out and needed medical help. And she sat the rest of her shift in wet clothes! Who would have thought to bring a spare set of clothes to work? She embraces the challenges she experiences here at the zoo and does so with a smile, a 'how may I help you' attitude and never complains. Lynette is well versed as far as a nurse goes. She works inpatient, ambulatory care clinics and the zoo as well as a CPR instructor. She is incredibly knowledgeable and loves to share her knowledge with others i.e. patients, families, customers, visitors all alike. She is Nurse Extraordinaire as far as our team sees it and we want her to know!!! Lynette is an asset and is also a part of the foundation that has been established in making Children's what it is today!! WE are so proud to call her our teammate, friend, and confidante! Thank you.