January DAISY Award Winner- Rhonda Poulson, RN, BSN, MBA, CCRN

My name is Lisa Thomas-Case and I am the nurse manager of the PCU under the leadership of Rhonda Poulson.

I was notified at work that my dad was going to need an urgent cardiac catherization. Within the hour his cardiologist had called me with plans for open heart surgery scheduled the following day in Johnson City. When I explained my situation to Rhonda, she was so supportive and encouraged me to go and be with my family. She relieved a lot of my stress by letting me know that she would cover my unit and duties during my absence. This compassionate gesture allowed me to focus all of my attention on my dad. Rhonda sent daily messages to check on me and my entire family and to ask if there was anything we needed. She also updated me daily about what was going on in the PCU which was so reassuring. Shortly after my dad’s successful open heart surgery, I had to have an unexpected surgery followed by my husband needing an emergent appendectomy. This has been a trying time for me and my family. Rhonda went far beyond the expectations of a director and I felt like my family was her family. The kindness and compassion that she demonstrated made me feel as if we were her patients. Rhonda made sure that all the patients and staff in the PCU received the care and attention needed. She makes it a point to know her staff both professionally and personally. She not only cares about my professional growth and job performance, she cares about me as a person. I have so much respect for Rhonda and hope you will consider her for the DAISY award as she is very deserving