February 2022
Teri
Schmidt
,
BSN, RN, CPN
Surgical
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle
,
WA
United States
Teri is known for being an expert clinician and a compassionate nurse leader who is able to have crucial conversations to develop nurses and promote learning.
Teri is an irreplaceable clinical leader on my unit. She is dedicated to ensuring staff are competent clinicians and up to date on the latest nursing practice changes. In addition to being a support person for front-line staff, she is also an incredible resource and support for leaders as well. I first met Teri while she was a charge nurse on the night shift and was so happy when she decided to become an educator on the Surgical Unit. She is known for being an expert clinician and a compassionate nurse leader who is able to have crucial conversations to develop nurses and promote learning. She has a gift for giving feedback in a clear, yet kind manner. This often happens without you even realizing it.
She is a great advocate for staff and tries her best to ensure that upcoming practice changes make sense and are rolled out smoothly on the unit. She understands the importance of robust training, whether it is in person or over WebEx, and never forgets to advocate for specific training needs (e.g., device demos, JIT bedside orientation, class hours, etc.) that will enhance learning. She is also dedicated to hiring a diverse workforce that will help enrich our team through her participation in Residency Hiring Day. From developing and teaching cardiac-specific training classes to onboarding new hires and travel nurse staff, she does it all with a laugh and a smile. She is an amazing educator, and I don't know how she balances everything on her plate.
Recently, she has been very focused on ventricular assist device (VAD) training for staff due to an increase in VAD implantations for patients awaiting heart transplants. She has gone above and beyond to train staff in scheduled classes, one on one trainings, and refresher courses. I think that staff appreciate Teri for supporting their work-life balance, but they don’t truly realize how flexible Teri is with her schedule when they have training needs. She doesn’t hesitate to come in early for a check-in or stay late to teach a class. In addition, her classes are regularly updated as she receives feedback on what works and what doesn’t work for staff. I am truly amazed by her dedication every day I work with her, and this nomination is a small thank you for everything she does behind the scenes. Our team would not be the same without her.
She is a great advocate for staff and tries her best to ensure that upcoming practice changes make sense and are rolled out smoothly on the unit. She understands the importance of robust training, whether it is in person or over WebEx, and never forgets to advocate for specific training needs (e.g., device demos, JIT bedside orientation, class hours, etc.) that will enhance learning. She is also dedicated to hiring a diverse workforce that will help enrich our team through her participation in Residency Hiring Day. From developing and teaching cardiac-specific training classes to onboarding new hires and travel nurse staff, she does it all with a laugh and a smile. She is an amazing educator, and I don't know how she balances everything on her plate.
Recently, she has been very focused on ventricular assist device (VAD) training for staff due to an increase in VAD implantations for patients awaiting heart transplants. She has gone above and beyond to train staff in scheduled classes, one on one trainings, and refresher courses. I think that staff appreciate Teri for supporting their work-life balance, but they don’t truly realize how flexible Teri is with her schedule when they have training needs. She doesn’t hesitate to come in early for a check-in or stay late to teach a class. In addition, her classes are regularly updated as she receives feedback on what works and what doesn’t work for staff. I am truly amazed by her dedication every day I work with her, and this nomination is a small thank you for everything she does behind the scenes. Our team would not be the same without her.