When I think of nurses I would want caring for me and my family, one name tops my list: Rebekah Mawrence. Rebekah has worked for Harrison for over 20 years, and continues to take the time to better herself and share her acquired knowledge with anyone willing to learn. She is the chair of both the Quality Council and the STARS unit council, and is also preparing to take the Med-Surg Certification exam and working her way through the Lean Six Sigma training program. No matter what stresses she may be facing in her life, Rebekah keeps a clear head and a pleasant attitude at work.
I have had the pleasure of watching Rebekah excel as both a floor and charge nurse. As a floor nurse, Rebekah exhibits outstanding clinical skills and an unrehearsed AIDET approach enabling her patients to feel at ease in some of life’s more uncomfortable situations. At a time when patients feel especially weak and vulnerable, Rebekah is a source of strength and support. She allows the patient to have a voice in their own care and is careful to pay attention to what is really being said. Rebekah truly listens, not only to her patients’ concerns, also the concerns of their loved ones. She works to nurture a relationship based on mutual trust, so her patient and their family feel comfortable coming to her with any and all concerns. Her calming presence makes her ready to handle any situation thrown her way, and she does so with a smile, creating a positive difference in our patients’ lives.
As a charge nurse, Rebekah gets a chance to flex her leadership skills. She is a quiet person who goes about her business calmly, and stays focused on the tasks at hand. During the day she makes a point to round on every patient, and is always available to help when needed. As the hospitalists round, Rebekah takes the time to read over the orders on all our patients to stay up-to-date with the care plans in place. She has an approachable air about her which allows our staff to feel at ease when seeking assistance. When her RNs are occupied and her CNAs busy, Rebekah doesn’t hesitate to jump up and answer call lights. She also takes the time to connect with other disciplines throughout the hospital to ensure our patient’s needs are being met, such as Social Work or Rehab Services, doing whatever is necessary to make sure our patients experience the best care possible during their stay.
Rebekah consistently goes above and beyond, spending much of her own time bettering our unit while fostering a family atmosphere amongst the staff. Rebekah works tirelessly to coordinate bake sales to raise money for Kitsap Community Resources. This past holiday season, she helped raise so much money we were able to assist other agencies in the area as well, such as St. Vincent de Paul. Speaking of family, Rebekah’s family is always available to help out with our floor’s activities, and her daughter is one of the delightful girls who deliver our bake sale items floor to floor!
All of these qualities make Rebekah the type of nurse I want caring for my family. Her established clinical expertise, coupled with her desire to learn new techniques, makes her an extremely well-versed nurse. Her understanding and kind approach with her patients, ability to foster respect and nurture trusting relationships, as well as her willingness to advocate for her patients, makes her a trustworthy nurse. Her desire to help in any way possible and ability to inspire our unit to join causes that reach outside of Harrison Medical Center, make her an outstanding role model – not only in our nursing community, but in our community at large.