Summer
Lykins
February 2012
Summer
Lykins
,
RN
New Beginnings Unit
Atrium Health Lincoln
Lincolntown
,
NC
United States
I would like to nominate Summer Lykins as a deserving recipient of the DAISY award.
Summer had an elderly patient, a 73 year old female, who had laparoscopic surgery and was brought to the New Beginnings Unit post-operatively. This patient came to the unit with nausea and vomiting and Summer immediately medicated her, made her comfortable, explained the plan of care with her and took the extra time to establish a relationship with the patient. Summer is known on the unit as spending a lot of time in her patient’s rooms talking, conversing with family and making patients feel like they get to know her as a person, not just as their nurse. Throughout the shift, the patient required procedures which were uncomfortable; however, Summer took the time to explain the procedures and brought in another nurse to assist so that she could hold her hand during the procedure. Summer made the patient coffee and walked around in the halls with the patient assisting her and talking her through any discomfort and displayed an endless sense of patience with her. Any visitors on the unit had to assume she was a family member of the patient instead of the nurse.
One week post-operatively, the patient called Summer and said she just, “Needed to hear her voice again,” she expressed her appreciation for the excellent care Summer took of her during her hospital stay and how much she appreciated her. The patient set up a “date” to meet with Summer this week to visit and see her again.
In an era when service is the driving force and wowing our patients is expected, Summer needs to make no changes in the care she delivers each patient. Patients know her by name and often make the comment that she is like “family” to them. I believe Summer deserves this award because she took extra time and attention in caring and befriending an elderly surgical patient and because of the way Summer treats her patients with compassion and care each shift. Summer is a team player and demonstrates awareness for patient and family comfort at all times.
Summer had an elderly patient, a 73 year old female, who had laparoscopic surgery and was brought to the New Beginnings Unit post-operatively. This patient came to the unit with nausea and vomiting and Summer immediately medicated her, made her comfortable, explained the plan of care with her and took the extra time to establish a relationship with the patient. Summer is known on the unit as spending a lot of time in her patient’s rooms talking, conversing with family and making patients feel like they get to know her as a person, not just as their nurse. Throughout the shift, the patient required procedures which were uncomfortable; however, Summer took the time to explain the procedures and brought in another nurse to assist so that she could hold her hand during the procedure. Summer made the patient coffee and walked around in the halls with the patient assisting her and talking her through any discomfort and displayed an endless sense of patience with her. Any visitors on the unit had to assume she was a family member of the patient instead of the nurse.
One week post-operatively, the patient called Summer and said she just, “Needed to hear her voice again,” she expressed her appreciation for the excellent care Summer took of her during her hospital stay and how much she appreciated her. The patient set up a “date” to meet with Summer this week to visit and see her again.
In an era when service is the driving force and wowing our patients is expected, Summer needs to make no changes in the care she delivers each patient. Patients know her by name and often make the comment that she is like “family” to them. I believe Summer deserves this award because she took extra time and attention in caring and befriending an elderly surgical patient and because of the way Summer treats her patients with compassion and care each shift. Summer is a team player and demonstrates awareness for patient and family comfort at all times.