Valerie Martenson
January 2021
Valerie
Martenson
,
RN
Cancer Center
Hennepin Healthcare
Valerie is the voice of- reason, takes time to explain thoroughly, addresses all questions, and makes sure they understand the directions.
Valerie has been a nurse at HCMC for more than 15 years. She is a super nurse and applies excellence to all aspects of nursing. She believes in evidence-based framework for nursing. She has great respect for people and rules; she uses knowledge to create a healthy and healing environment for her patients. Even her straight upright walking posture conveys her qualities well; she is steady, determined, tenacious, and above all calm.
She possesses great communication skills in both effective speaking and listening with focus on patient assessment, education, and coordination of care. She puts patients in the center of all she does, considering their individual needs and situations. She is the voice of- reason, takes time to explain thoroughly, addresses all questions, and makes sure they understand the directions. Develops a trusting relationship with her patients, supports self-management, and hence promotes compliance with their treatments.
In the clinic, Valerie works collaboratively from the time patient is seen by the provider in the team center to a meaningful discharge. She helps coordinate the full spectrum of patient care whether it's handling family, reassuring a patient, dealing with a doctor, or working with other staff and when patients are brought to the infusion center for their treatments, gives a complete hand-off does not leave anything to chance. We work in a cancer center, some days can be demanding both emotionally and physically, Valerie has the ability to step back, stay calm and stay focused and not let situations affect her.
She is a good preceptor leads by example, gives personalized care to her patients, and enables others to do the same. She promotes transparency never hesitant to say, "That was my mistake." She is a team player, works well with coworkers, and help each other.
One patient who has been coming to the clinic over the years for her continued chemo treatments once made a comment that, as hard as these treatments are on her body and as hard as it is sometimes to make it to the clinic, she actually enjoys her visit while she is here in the clinic because not only she believes in her treatment team, but her nurses make her feel special every time, she trusts them and feels so supported by them, she mentioned Valerie's name.
Note: This is Valerie's 2nd DAISY Award!
She possesses great communication skills in both effective speaking and listening with focus on patient assessment, education, and coordination of care. She puts patients in the center of all she does, considering their individual needs and situations. She is the voice of- reason, takes time to explain thoroughly, addresses all questions, and makes sure they understand the directions. Develops a trusting relationship with her patients, supports self-management, and hence promotes compliance with their treatments.
In the clinic, Valerie works collaboratively from the time patient is seen by the provider in the team center to a meaningful discharge. She helps coordinate the full spectrum of patient care whether it's handling family, reassuring a patient, dealing with a doctor, or working with other staff and when patients are brought to the infusion center for their treatments, gives a complete hand-off does not leave anything to chance. We work in a cancer center, some days can be demanding both emotionally and physically, Valerie has the ability to step back, stay calm and stay focused and not let situations affect her.
She is a good preceptor leads by example, gives personalized care to her patients, and enables others to do the same. She promotes transparency never hesitant to say, "That was my mistake." She is a team player, works well with coworkers, and help each other.
One patient who has been coming to the clinic over the years for her continued chemo treatments once made a comment that, as hard as these treatments are on her body and as hard as it is sometimes to make it to the clinic, she actually enjoys her visit while she is here in the clinic because not only she believes in her treatment team, but her nurses make her feel special every time, she trusts them and feels so supported by them, she mentioned Valerie's name.
Note: This is Valerie's 2nd DAISY Award!