February 2026
Samantha R
Smith
,
RN, BSN
Nursing Administration
Powell Valley Healthcare
Powell
,
WY
United States
There was an Outpatient coming to get antibiotics for an infection in her neck after a surgery. This was her second round of antibiotics after she had failed the first round, and the infection remained. She had been in the hospital in Billings and was released the day before coming to the medical surgical unit for her first dose since discharge.
It was a weekend, and Sammee was the house supervisor in charge of the infusion. As she always does, Sammee was ready for the patient and had her ducks in a row to be able to efficiently and effectively care for the patient. During her discussion with the patient while setting up the IV, she learned that the patient was driving from Belfry to receive her infusion here at PVHC.
Sammee used her nursing knowledge to forward think about what the patient's schedule was going to need to be to make sure that her infection was treated properly. Sammee took the time to sit down with the patient and discuss what the antibiotic schedule needed to be and while doing so found out that the patient had been unable to work since her surgery while treating this infection, but that she had just started a new job and had a bit of a messy work schedule that was going to affect when she could come for her infusions.
Sammee wrote her work schedule down and then spoke with other nursing staff to get the best schedule possible so that the patient could get her infusion and also be able to make it to work.
She reassured the patient and explained everything to her in depth so that the patient understood the importance of consistency with the antibiotics so that we could effectively treat the infection and prevent further problems, but also reassure her that we could and would accommodate her work schedule.
Sammee ended up scheduling her infusions at 0500 daily which means that the MS floor is doing her infusions daily which is above and beyond for our normal OP schedule. She also made sure that everything was set up and ready to go so that the patient was here for as little time as possible, so she could make it home safely for work.
She communicated with the incoming staff so that they could also help carry out the process set in place. She also offered to collaborate with case management to see if there were other options that would better suit the patients' needs when they returned to their offices the following Monday.
Sammee is a wonderful nurse who exemplifies what this award represents.
It was a weekend, and Sammee was the house supervisor in charge of the infusion. As she always does, Sammee was ready for the patient and had her ducks in a row to be able to efficiently and effectively care for the patient. During her discussion with the patient while setting up the IV, she learned that the patient was driving from Belfry to receive her infusion here at PVHC.
Sammee used her nursing knowledge to forward think about what the patient's schedule was going to need to be to make sure that her infection was treated properly. Sammee took the time to sit down with the patient and discuss what the antibiotic schedule needed to be and while doing so found out that the patient had been unable to work since her surgery while treating this infection, but that she had just started a new job and had a bit of a messy work schedule that was going to affect when she could come for her infusions.
Sammee wrote her work schedule down and then spoke with other nursing staff to get the best schedule possible so that the patient could get her infusion and also be able to make it to work.
She reassured the patient and explained everything to her in depth so that the patient understood the importance of consistency with the antibiotics so that we could effectively treat the infection and prevent further problems, but also reassure her that we could and would accommodate her work schedule.
Sammee ended up scheduling her infusions at 0500 daily which means that the MS floor is doing her infusions daily which is above and beyond for our normal OP schedule. She also made sure that everything was set up and ready to go so that the patient was here for as little time as possible, so she could make it home safely for work.
She communicated with the incoming staff so that they could also help carry out the process set in place. She also offered to collaborate with case management to see if there were other options that would better suit the patients' needs when they returned to their offices the following Monday.
Sammee is a wonderful nurse who exemplifies what this award represents.