There are certain people whom you meet that you know are in the correct profession. Traci is one of those people. She has a big heart for all of her patients and will not leave her shift until all of their needs are met.

Most recently, Traci had a patient who was requiring more care than usual for our unit. This patient was slowly declining through the night. When I came in the next morning, Traci wanted to stay for a few extra hours to ensure that the daylight team was aware of the situation overnight. A newer nurse was assigned to this patient for dayshift. This senior nurse took the newer nurse under her wing and explained why she was concerned and what actions she took overnight to care for this patient. The nurse talked with the daylight team and eventually, the patient was transferred to a higher level of care.

Traci could have easily left at the end of her shift and let the new nurse manage this patient’s care along with her multiple other patients. Instead, she stayed late to ensure the patient received the best care and that the newer nurse could see how to advocate in real-time. 

I frequently witness Traci go above and beyond for her patients. She loves to teach newer staff how to advocate for our patients. Traci also takes on extra responsibilities on our unit by working on quality projects as well as precepting new nurses. She is frequently in charge and embodies what it means to be a UPMC nurse.