2 West is a busy Med/Surg unit. It has a unique team that I cannot say enough good things about. Among this team is one nurse who stands out. She is a fairly new nurse but to watch her at work you would never know. She is the perfect example of a great co-worker!
This nurse comes to work each shift with a positive attitude, energy to carry her through 12+ hours, enthusiasm and always a smile. She never appears to become stressed, flustered, overworked, exhausted or short on patience. We all know working on a Med/Surg floor can be all those things and more. Having this nurse work beside you, her attitude is contagious. No matter what is going on around her, she remains calm and carries on. She is ALWAYS willing to lend a hand if asked. You always know it will be a good day if she is your "nurse buddy".
Watching this nurse with her patients is inspiring. She makes each patient feel like they are her only patient. She never appears rushed and each patient receives 110% of her attention. She is kind and caring and has a way of making her patients, who may be scared, in pain, confused or angry, feel calm and well cared for. I have had many patients state to me what a wonderful nurse she is. She is a hard act to follow!!
One day when our unit was short-staffed, this nurse stood out to me and I'd like to share why. The acuity level of our unit was high, we had seven nurses and five aides. We had very sick patients and very stressed nurses. This was the type of day where buddies really were not available to help each other as everyone had five patients and as soon as one patient was discharged a new one was rolling down the hallway sent up from the ED. We all know what these days are like. I was feeling the stress of the unit. As the day went on and the stress grew, nurses were hungry, tired and a few in tears. This nurse came to me with a question, she sat beside me, calmly asked her question, thanked me for my help and carried on with her business. I looked at her and thought "wow, what a breath of fresh air she is". This nurse had discharged 2 or 3 patients, taken one admission and was more than willing to take another transfer with a smile on her face and no complaints. This was her third day in a row, but you would never have known it. The stress and chaos around her never once appeared to negatively impact her positive attitude and smile.
I am proud to say I work with Stephanie Hodgdon and 2 West is lucky to have her!! She is such a wonderful role model for us all, new and seasoned nurses alike.