Hello. I would like to nominate Paula Gentile, RN for her care of a patient in the APU (Acute psych unit ) in the ED. Paula has provided exceptional care to one of our patients who has been in the ED for over a month awaiting placement. As you know the ED is not an appropriate place for any patient to be boarding. We have no windows on our unit. This patient has Autism and is non-verbal. While many nurses also provided care, Paula has been one of the primary psych nurses during the daytime. Paula has advocated for this patient, bought food and toys for him with her own money, created a communication tool with pictures, made a daily plan for him, and trained other nurses about the plan. Paula treated this young man with dignity and respect, greeting him each day with a smile and helping him in any way she can, including taking him for walks when it is safe to do so. Despite not having specific training in autism, Paula went above and beyond to educate herself in order to provide the best care possible to him. There is hope for this patient to be placed in the next few weeks. Until then, I know he will be well cared for and we will continue to do the best we can.
Paula is a wonderful nurse. She advocates for her patients, is a team player, and has a calm compassionate demeanor. She has brought in many items from home for the patient who has been in the ED for over a month. Despite this very difficult time - attempting to provide the type of care a nurse would provide for an admitted pt (not a busy ER) - Paula has never wavered in her compassion for this patient, as an advocate for her other patients and as a team player.
Thank you!