Tracie Caudill - Nomination
If you don't know her; You should.
I currently work at the Recovery Center at West Pines. When I started at West Pines, it was expressed to me, "if you have any questions about anything, protocol, patient care/needs, documentation, procedures, or where to find something in Epic, contact Tracie." At the same time, "Do not argue with her. She knows her stuff." This was expressed to me while I was training. It was about 4 months later that I would actually come into contact with the outstanding Mrs. Tracie Caudill. After working with her for a while, I realized, Tracie did know "her stuff". Any questions I had about my job, Tracie helped me with. Any questions I had about somebody else's job, Tracie helped me with. I have overheard her talking on the phone with doctors about orders, "helping" them to delegate appropriate medications for a patient. I have been in the field since 2005, and Tracie is the first Nurse that I call "My Nurse". Exhibiting a sense of work efficacy, ethics, and etiquette that are most desirable. Her sense of integrity has never faltered, as I have witnessed. Tracie is also involved in number of councils, committees, and organizations within and throughout our hospital. She hosts classes, educates, and is a perpetual student within the field and our fine establishment. She informs others she works with about upcoming events and educational junctions, as well as, heads many of them.
A few of my favorite attributes: 1) If she doesn't know an answer, she admits it and then finds the answer shortly. 2) She is always helpful in educating how to find things (i.e. using epic), document, and providing information about medications, policies, and procedures. (No matter how many times I ask her to show me, "Just one more time". 3) Perpetually a patient advocate and observant when it comes to patients. Patients are always saying how they enjoy the weekend overnight crew the best (Tracie's shift). With that being said, it is not all fun and games all the time. Tracie's does not enable patients behaviors or addictions, rather she expresses a certain level of accountability to the patients with consistency. She speaks to the patients and not AT the patients, perpetually expressing a positive demeanor. She is brilliant to watch and extraordinary in her craft/field.
I have witnessed too many examples of Tracie's exemplary work with patients. One example: a patient going into DT's while on the detox unit. Although the patient had been overlooked by day staff, as soon as Tracie came onto the unit, she recognized his behavior and immediately got him to the Emergency Department where they could take appropriate care of him, as the detox unit is not equipped to properly address this. (I have actually witnessed this more than once.)
Another was a young patient with chronic pain, and was ill because of this pain. He had been on the unit for quite some time. Tracie recognized that this patient was genuine in his pain, and spoke with the doctor, as our nurses are the "eyes" of the unit, and the doctor had not seen the patient, nor would she until the next day, and together got the patient an appropriate dose of medication's to prevent further vomiting and inability to rest throughout the evening.
Tracie recognized a patient that appeared to be a little more sedated than she should be, given the dose and time of her medications. The patient had gone out on a day pass and came back, during the day, with pills that she began to ingest while on the unit. The patient, being an addict, hid the pills well. However, with Tracie's keen and knowledgeable eye, she handled the situation appropriately.
Tracie has changed a gentleman's linens when he expressed to her that they had not been changed since he arrived onto the unit. The man had been on the unit for several days, and although the gentleman stated that he had asked other nurses to assist him, they were never changed. He only wanted help changing his linens. He was wheelchair bound, and the wheelchair could not move around the bed on both sides. He was also incontinent, and embarrassed of this, and did not want to sleep in his dirty sheets anymore. When the gentleman went to a group off the unit, Tracie, took it upon herself to change his linens. It was her first shift back onto the unit after her weekend. I know she had other pressing matters. But she took the time to do this. Tracie treats patients who come onto our unit with a certain level of dignity and care. Not only that, but I truly believe she has saved many lives within her position here at West Pines. I witness this time and time again, to the point that I am used to this type of behavior. I actually expect it. However, I have realized, as expressed, this is not always the level of care I have witnessed by others consistently, and for that; for her keen eye, quick thinking, and upholding a high level of integrity, I admire her and truly think that not only is she an asset to the field, but to anyone who may know or have heard of her. I appreciate her hard work and who she is as a person. And I honestly believe her work should not go unnoticed, for there are far and few in-between that I can imagine are like her. For merely knowing her, on this level, makes me want to do my job better. And I do.