Vanessa Smith 2022, RN II

Vanessa took care of a young psychiatric patient (15 years old) in the ED who was in the department for over a month in the same room. He had some significant behavioral challenges and the traditional medications and approaches had failed. She recognized that he needed more than just medication and would talk to him. They forged a friendship with significant improvement in his condition. She cooked food for him and brought it to work for him. She made a basketball court out of medical tape on the floor of his room so he could exercise. She brought him books and magazines. If his behavior escalated, she would talk him down. Vanessa went above and beyond, thought outside the box, reduced the stress level within the department, and ultimately did the right thing for the patient with a successful outcome simply by listening and befriending him.