Paula Williams is an exceptional nurse who promotes patient safety through efficiency of care, teamwork, loyalty, and dedication. The GYN unit was recently faced with a staffing storage. Nurses from Labor and Delivery were asked to fill in, and Paula was instrumental in ensuring that the staff members received a thorough orientation to the GYN unit. She stayed over many nights to ensure that safe patient care was being provided, and made sure the nurses felt comfortable taking care of the GYN patients. Because of the high turnover on the GYN unit, Paula also took on the job of ensuring that the unit meets the SCIP indicators for CMS. Paula reviews charts, communicates discrepancies to staff members, corrects deficiencies and educates the staff about these quality measures. Her commitment to excellence and her clinical competence is evident in her daily interactions.

Recently, Paula noted that an associate came to work feeling ill. Paula recognized that the associate was not acting quite like herself and offered her an empty room to use to gain her composure. While assisting the associate, Paula noted that the associate was exhibiting stroke-like symptoms. She quickly took vital signs and gathered a team to assist the associate to the ED where she was immediately admitted and stabilized. Paula continually presents herself in a professional manner and her patients and fellow associates praise the care and compassion that Paula exhibits.