Noelle Soliday
September 2021
Noelle
Soliday
,
BSN, RN, CPN
ENT
Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City
Kansas City
,
MO
United States
Noelle exemplifies the quality caring model in all aspects.
Noelle Soliday is an extraordinary nurse. I have had the benefit of working with her for the entirety of my 19-year career here at Children's Mercy. Noelle and I first met on 2 Henson and now we are peers in Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic. She molded me into the nurse I am, and I could not be more grateful.
Noelle exemplifies the quality caring model in all aspects. She goes the extra mile with each and every interaction with parents and families as well as staff. While working with her on 2 Henson, Noelle was at the staff's side during every difficult challenging task. She never shied away from encouraging them and guiding them to provide the best care. She constantly "checked in" on each team member and easily recognized when they were struggling. Noelle took time to ensure the staff were okay by calling after tough shifts or offering to sit at breakfast after the shift. Noelle never ended her shift or stepped off the unit prior to confirming all staff had their tasks completed and ready to leave as well.
Noelle has had a unique career in that she is one of the few nurses who has spent her entire tenure at the bedside. This is not as common in younger generations as many nurses are seen going back for advanced degrees or climbing the leadership ladder. Noelle is one who is steadfast and committed. She loves taking care of patients, and she is thorough and detailed in every interaction. Her work ethic and knowledge of bedside nursing is essential to the growth and education of new nurses entering the work field.
While Noelle was still a bedside nurse, she did not shy away from leadership opportunities or personal growth. She is active in hospital-wide groups. When she worked on 2 Henson, she headed all the QI projects and was an active participant in the hospital SOAR group. She was a pioneer for change long before QI coordinators or LEAN processes were implemented. The staff knew she had their best interests at heart, so they trusted her and followed her lead. Working nights for many years she was a go-to for staff as directors worked primarily during the day. She had the added task of staying up-to-date on changes and in the know with improvements so night shift could remain in compliance.
While in ENT she was a creator of the ENT Clinic RN Orientation Competency Validation Tool. She is a go-to for projects, and she has recently completed many A3 projects to improve our efficiency and keep patients at the forefront. There are many instances when Noelle's stellar character has shined through. One in particular involves when a mother was so very sick, just as her child was. Noelle was able to get the mom care that she needed at a neighboring hospital by ensuring she would stay with her child while the mother was gone. The feat was not small as the mother refused an ambulance and refused care in our ER. Only Noelle's true caring personally was able to provide the comfort to this mother to seek the care she needed while we provided the care to her child that was needed. This embodied several of our institutions core values including kindness and integrity as it took a lot for this mother to trust Noelle and our staff enough to leave her child in our care so she could get the necessary assistance she needed.
Again, in ENT Noelle exemplified some of our core values of inclusion and team when she ensured a blind family was walked to the front entrance and that they were placed in the correct cab to leave the hospital and that the cab driver was aware of all their needs. Noelle could have easily passed this onto a care assistant, but she wanted to take a moment to personally see this through. Knowing that special needs patients/families benefit from continuity of care, Noelle took time to finish the encounter and help this family get home.
Most recently, she took time out of her workday to assist a highly anxious patient to become more comfortable with her ENT visits. Noelle knew this patient was going to need extra attention and care. We do complete procedures in ENT, but we do not sedate patients. This patient would need to know the area and feel comfortable in this setting prior to the appointment in order to have the best possible outcome at the visit. If the doctors aren't able to complete all of the work in ENT clinic using distraction and comfort holds patients are sent to the operating room for surgery. Noelle arranged to have this patient come to clinic on a non-appointment day for a tour. Noelle coordinated for other staff to be present for the tour so the patient could meet the entire care team and tour the unit with no pressure or time constraints. Noelle personally walked her through the equipment we'd be using and allowed the patient to see, touch, and ask questions. When the patient came back the next week, her visit was much calmer and much more effective. This type of involvement, concern, coordination, and care promotes incredible outcomes for kids and their families. This patient avoided more medicine, added costs, and time away from home. The family of this patient avoided having to take more time of work for added appointments/surgeries all because Noelle coordinated for this pre-appointment walk through.
She visits families while inpatient post-surgery with the doctor she works side-by-side with. It calms their fears and provides the needed support to ensure they are comfortable and prepared to return home to care for their child. I witness Noelle day after day calling families just to check in, listening and soothing the families’ concerns. She works late when needed and without any complaints. She does not ask for anything in return. She encompasses the quality care model in every action she implements.
Noelle's peers praise her for her calm demeanor and overall empathetic nature. She guides the team, advocates for them, and empowers them to learn and do things on their own. She is the definition of a team member, stepping in whenever or wherever she is needed and does not know the words "it's not my job".
Noelle's kindness and compassion extends throughout the community by participating in many volunteer opportunities. She shares her time by supporting local schools helping with drives even after her children have moved on from them. Year after year she contributes her time and volunteers at the KC Kids marathon. I have enjoyed joining in on her generosity by preparing and staging dresses for the yearly Blessed Dress event that is held at a local church. It allows girls to participate in Prom events without the financial burden of purchasing a dress. All dresses are donated, organized, and they provide the opportunity for girls to choose a beautiful dress to enjoy the night. I have also worked with Noelle preparing food bags for the homeless or less fortunate at the Sheffield House ran by a church in the inner city.
Most recently during COVID shutdown, Noelle volunteered to be a resource to local nursing students and allowed a few to practice IV starts on her as they no longer were completing clinic rotations. Noelle's ability to connect with people at all levels is an amazing experience to witness. Very few people are as lucky as I have been to work with someone comprised of such knowledge, caring, and compassion for so many years. I have said this before and will again: If I am half the nurse Noelle is, I will have an extremely successful, rewarding career as a Nurse. Children's Mercy is lucky to have her continued commitment practicing as a RN and as a mentor for the future nurses. She has left an undeniable legacy here.
Noelle exemplifies the quality caring model in all aspects. She goes the extra mile with each and every interaction with parents and families as well as staff. While working with her on 2 Henson, Noelle was at the staff's side during every difficult challenging task. She never shied away from encouraging them and guiding them to provide the best care. She constantly "checked in" on each team member and easily recognized when they were struggling. Noelle took time to ensure the staff were okay by calling after tough shifts or offering to sit at breakfast after the shift. Noelle never ended her shift or stepped off the unit prior to confirming all staff had their tasks completed and ready to leave as well.
Noelle has had a unique career in that she is one of the few nurses who has spent her entire tenure at the bedside. This is not as common in younger generations as many nurses are seen going back for advanced degrees or climbing the leadership ladder. Noelle is one who is steadfast and committed. She loves taking care of patients, and she is thorough and detailed in every interaction. Her work ethic and knowledge of bedside nursing is essential to the growth and education of new nurses entering the work field.
While Noelle was still a bedside nurse, she did not shy away from leadership opportunities or personal growth. She is active in hospital-wide groups. When she worked on 2 Henson, she headed all the QI projects and was an active participant in the hospital SOAR group. She was a pioneer for change long before QI coordinators or LEAN processes were implemented. The staff knew she had their best interests at heart, so they trusted her and followed her lead. Working nights for many years she was a go-to for staff as directors worked primarily during the day. She had the added task of staying up-to-date on changes and in the know with improvements so night shift could remain in compliance.
While in ENT she was a creator of the ENT Clinic RN Orientation Competency Validation Tool. She is a go-to for projects, and she has recently completed many A3 projects to improve our efficiency and keep patients at the forefront. There are many instances when Noelle's stellar character has shined through. One in particular involves when a mother was so very sick, just as her child was. Noelle was able to get the mom care that she needed at a neighboring hospital by ensuring she would stay with her child while the mother was gone. The feat was not small as the mother refused an ambulance and refused care in our ER. Only Noelle's true caring personally was able to provide the comfort to this mother to seek the care she needed while we provided the care to her child that was needed. This embodied several of our institutions core values including kindness and integrity as it took a lot for this mother to trust Noelle and our staff enough to leave her child in our care so she could get the necessary assistance she needed.
Again, in ENT Noelle exemplified some of our core values of inclusion and team when she ensured a blind family was walked to the front entrance and that they were placed in the correct cab to leave the hospital and that the cab driver was aware of all their needs. Noelle could have easily passed this onto a care assistant, but she wanted to take a moment to personally see this through. Knowing that special needs patients/families benefit from continuity of care, Noelle took time to finish the encounter and help this family get home.
Most recently, she took time out of her workday to assist a highly anxious patient to become more comfortable with her ENT visits. Noelle knew this patient was going to need extra attention and care. We do complete procedures in ENT, but we do not sedate patients. This patient would need to know the area and feel comfortable in this setting prior to the appointment in order to have the best possible outcome at the visit. If the doctors aren't able to complete all of the work in ENT clinic using distraction and comfort holds patients are sent to the operating room for surgery. Noelle arranged to have this patient come to clinic on a non-appointment day for a tour. Noelle coordinated for other staff to be present for the tour so the patient could meet the entire care team and tour the unit with no pressure or time constraints. Noelle personally walked her through the equipment we'd be using and allowed the patient to see, touch, and ask questions. When the patient came back the next week, her visit was much calmer and much more effective. This type of involvement, concern, coordination, and care promotes incredible outcomes for kids and their families. This patient avoided more medicine, added costs, and time away from home. The family of this patient avoided having to take more time of work for added appointments/surgeries all because Noelle coordinated for this pre-appointment walk through.
She visits families while inpatient post-surgery with the doctor she works side-by-side with. It calms their fears and provides the needed support to ensure they are comfortable and prepared to return home to care for their child. I witness Noelle day after day calling families just to check in, listening and soothing the families’ concerns. She works late when needed and without any complaints. She does not ask for anything in return. She encompasses the quality care model in every action she implements.
Noelle's peers praise her for her calm demeanor and overall empathetic nature. She guides the team, advocates for them, and empowers them to learn and do things on their own. She is the definition of a team member, stepping in whenever or wherever she is needed and does not know the words "it's not my job".
Noelle's kindness and compassion extends throughout the community by participating in many volunteer opportunities. She shares her time by supporting local schools helping with drives even after her children have moved on from them. Year after year she contributes her time and volunteers at the KC Kids marathon. I have enjoyed joining in on her generosity by preparing and staging dresses for the yearly Blessed Dress event that is held at a local church. It allows girls to participate in Prom events without the financial burden of purchasing a dress. All dresses are donated, organized, and they provide the opportunity for girls to choose a beautiful dress to enjoy the night. I have also worked with Noelle preparing food bags for the homeless or less fortunate at the Sheffield House ran by a church in the inner city.
Most recently during COVID shutdown, Noelle volunteered to be a resource to local nursing students and allowed a few to practice IV starts on her as they no longer were completing clinic rotations. Noelle's ability to connect with people at all levels is an amazing experience to witness. Very few people are as lucky as I have been to work with someone comprised of such knowledge, caring, and compassion for so many years. I have said this before and will again: If I am half the nurse Noelle is, I will have an extremely successful, rewarding career as a Nurse. Children's Mercy is lucky to have her continued commitment practicing as a RN and as a mentor for the future nurses. She has left an undeniable legacy here.