Michelle is a one-in-a-million nurse who shines above a sea of amazing nurses. She is kind, smart, and no-nonsense; the kind of nurse you want in your corner and who will always have your back.
She is currently serving her second term as the Unit Council Chairperson. The 2019-unit council has nearly doubled in size from last year.
Michelle is a detailed oriented charge nurse and nurturing preceptor. As a charge nurse, Michelle understands the vital role she plays in patient flow; working on early, efficient discharges as well as coordinating communication to ensure all patient throughput flows smoothly.
Michelle is a fierce patient advocate and is meticulous in her care delivery. The post-operative hospital course can be short for our patient population and sometimes doesn't allow for adequate retention of information for some of the patients. Michelle took this as an opportunity to develop and launch a nurse-led discharge class for patients and their families. In this class, patients and families can ask questions, get information about discharge needs in a structured setting; free from distraction and where they are open to learning.
Michelle's approach with patients and families is equal parts direct and informative as well as compassionate and understanding. She is often getting recognition and praise from patients and families on the exemplary care she gives. A patient aptly stated about Michelle, "What a take charge, wonderful, knowledgeable, helpful yet firm individual. She's firm but with kindness and heart. I thank you for all of your assistance."
This next example is a simple one, yet powerful. Michelle was caring for a pre-operative patient who was pending open-heart surgery. Her patient was scared and anxious. She knew he was struggling with the upcoming surgery. She explained to him and his family what to expect. Though he was appreciative of the information, her patient was still rather anxious. Michelle knew she would have to take different measures to help him. She recalled that just the week prior she took care of a patient who had the same surgery and was in the ICU recovering well. Michelle reached out to that patient and asked if it would be ok connecting with her current patient; he agreed. She then took her current patient to speak with the patient in the ICU so he could get a first-hand account of what to expect. They spoke at length. Afterward, he felt reassured, comforted and better able to manage his feelings toward the upcoming surgery. Nursing is both an art and a science and Michelle has the ability to infuse the right amounts of both into the individualized care she delivers.
Michelle is a true role model who leads by example, bringing excellence to practice. She is a DAISY Nurse!