Sara Gravelle
July 2024
Sara
Gravelle
,
MSN, RN, CNL, CPN
Professional Practice Dept
Baptist Health
Jacksonville
,
FL
United States

 

 

 

Sara is knowledgeable and talented, but her true strength lies in her ability to drive significant system changes and empower others to learn and grow. Her contributions this year have positively impacted countless patients and team members, solidifying her reputation as an exceptional nurse and leader. 
It is with great admiration that I nominate Sara Gravelle for the DAISY Nurse Award. Sara has demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication in her role, significantly impacting our healthcare system and community. Sara helped lead a groundbreaking program to distribute Narcan to at-risk patients, a project that required a substantial interdisciplinary effort. Her leadership in this initiative involved navigating complex policy changes, securing medical board approvals, integrating the program into our Epic system, and conducting extensive education sessions for our staff. Thanks to Sara's tireless work, we now have a robust, life-saving Narcan distribution program that is a model for other institutions. Additionally, Sara played a crucial role in the implementation of a human trafficking screening protocol. This initiative required meticulous research, the formation of strategic alliances with community partners, and comprehensive education for our team members. Her commitment to protecting our patients and team members is evident in the thoughtful and thorough approach she took to ensure the successful adoption of this critical screening tool. She was a leader behind a highly successful community-wide event focused on human trafficking education, coordinating efforts with five community partners. The event attracted 250 attendees, including influential figures such as our CEO, CNO, sheriff, and a member of the mayor’s cabinet. Sara has also been instrumental in implementing and optimizing the Elsevier Care Planning Tool. Her advocacy for nurses has been pivotal in making the tool user-friendly while meeting regulatory requirements and enhancing patient care. She has worked closely with the Epic team and informatics, while dedicating countless hours to 1:1 rounding with nurses, providing invaluable support and ensuring smooth integration of the tool into our daily practices. Beyond her professional commitments, Sara serves on the board of a charity that provides education and healthcare in the Dominican Republic. She travels there annually, bringing her expertise and compassion to underserved communities. This year alone, she helped care for 500 patients in just a few short days, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to global health. Sara is knowledgeable and talented, but her true strength lies in her ability to drive significant system changes and empower others to learn and grow. Her contributions this year have positively impacted countless patients and team members, solidifying her reputation as an exceptional nurse and leader. 

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I decided to complete my Doctorate of Nursing Practice a few years ago, and the time came to decide on and implement a project. Ultimately, I decided to focus on drug overdose populations and Baptist liked the project so much that we transitioned it into a reality. As I navigated the, sometimes complex IRB process, I was introduced to Sara Gravelle as a clinical practice consultant. Little did I know how instrumental Sara would be in the structure of my project, which truthfully became "our" project. We spent so many hours planning and implementing meetings, coordinating details, navigating legal and ethics, creating education, collaborating with key stakeholders, driving to every single campus and every free-standing facility. Sara never wavered. She kept me focused and on track. She took on this project's responsibilities with equal ownership.  I recall on a drive to Baptist Nassau to present this project to the nursing staff, Sara started telling me about another project she was involved with similarly to mine through her role. Sara was collaborating on a new project involving early discovery of human trafficking victims and in the very early stages of implementation, this project had already saved the lives of two victims. I was speechless. Sara is beyond the definition of a hero. Her role appears to be more of a supportive member, but truthfully, she is the key component of these successes. Her continued efforts truly save lives. Without a doubt, she is an asset to our patients, Baptist Health, and the community around us. I am blessed to call her co-worker and friend, I am honored and inspired by her humanity, drive, and love for her community. Sara is a nurse beyond the bedside, and providing her an opportunity for a DAISY Award would be just a small token of appreciation and recognition for someone so amazing. 

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Sara has been a lead on the Human trafficking initiatives within Baptist/WCH for the last 1.5 years. We were brought together on this project of passion around January 2023. She immediately put her heart and soul into gathering research and creating a policy, algorithm, screening tool, and education to roll out for Human trafficking in the ED. This is a huge issue in the state of Florida and Baptist had no process in place for these patients who are also victims. Sara coordinated community events at Baptist to foster relationships and bring awareness to the organization. She has been patient and kind in all her communications. She genuinely leads with the patient's best interest at heart. Without Sara, I am not sure this initiative would have gained the traction and attention it has. She deserves to be recognized for her dedication to patient safety and her community.