There are good leaders, effective leaders, and a combination of both. Megan Brandt is a combination of both. Megan demonstrates clinical skills and excellence daily, from her interaction with patients on the floor to helping her nurses help patients. This action develops relationships with everyone she meets. Megan somehow still gets her own managerial work completed; yet is constantly focused on the patient and family goals.
Last October, Megan took one of our long-term patients Trick-or-Treating on units 1-8 and 2-8 for Halloween, to help the patient have a "special day." She got a costume for the patient, candy for her staff and colleagues to pass out, and a pail for the patient to carry her treats. The smile and joy on the patient's face were contagious to all. Megan goes above and beyond her calling, to help everyone daily, and she truly exhibits the qualities of a DAISY Nurse. Not to mention, the activity helped improve the patient's mood and facilitate their course of treatment for the better!
Megan truly reminds me what it means to be a nurse; to put our patients ahead of us, thinking outside the box to give patient care that is well-deserved. Not all patients require dressing changes, medications, or traditional medicine, but they do need true compassion. In fact, the patient Megan took Trick-or-Treating looked so happy she even mentioned to many how she did her own hair up and was very proud of herself for that. This touched our hearts. To know that Megan and other staff try to understand a patient's "whole story" and then in this case, took the time (which we know is very precious these days) to get a costume (I have since learned that there were many costumes offered, and this patient got to choose which one she wanted to wear) and to tour multiple nursing units with this patient demonstrates to me what we are all about here at St. Joseph's Health: stewardship, enthusiasm, vision, integrity, reverence, compassion and excellence abound.