When Sarah is working on the unit she never hesitates to help her teammates. She goes above and beyond every minute, every shift, every time to ensure that her patients are loved, treated with exceptional care, and feel like a person, even in their darkest hour. She has been instrumental in training our new nurses to do the same. She always welcomes each and every challenge with a smile and a positive attitude. Sarah raised the bar when she recently became the first RN to qualify to sit for their PCCN certification, and she passed! She challenges her coworkers to do the same as soon as they are able.
When completing nurse leader rounds, I frequently receive feedback that Sarah is a great nurse. When I ask what makes her stand out, the patients and their families tell me, it's her heart. They can tell that she really cares about them. She will take the extra time to explain everything she does, whether large or small. She never leaves the room without ensuring that the patient or their family have all that they need, and are comfortable.
Recently, we had a patient transfer to our unit, who was complicated, to say the least. The patient arrived on our unit after spending 92 days in the ICU. This patient requires constant supervision, as she is nonverbal. Her support system is also lacking, and you could go into the room and tell that she was withdrawn and suffering on the inside. That was until she met Sarah a few weeks later. During nurse leader rounding when nurses were mentioned, although this patient is nonverbal, her eyes lit up and her smile turned big when Sarah was mentioned.
Sarah truly connected with this patient. Every time that Sarah worked, she would come to check on her, talk to her, and most of all support her, even when she wasn't her assigned patient. On one of Sarah's days off, she was at the nurses' station and told the team that she was just swinging by. When I saw her at the front nurses' station, she told me that she was just swinging by. It wasn't until after Sarah left that we realized what Sarah had done. Sarah had delivered our special patient a soft pink blanket and a plush unicorn. The look on her face, when asked about that blanket, was priceless. Her eyes lit up and you could tell she was smiling with her whole heart.
One shift, Sarah spent her downtime painting the patient's fingernails and toenails while another RN braided her hair. Later that week, I could hear Sarah from my office, so excited that this patient was in the chair. Sarah was telling her how proud she was of her, and how amazing it was to see her up. If you were to take a look in her room, you would see that fall is in full bloom, there are pumpkins and festive leaves, a Christmas tree, and all the trimmings. That room is decorated top to bottom and I'm sure you know who played a part in that.
While trying to get our patient ready for rehab, the most devastating thing happened, her mother-in-law and her only caregiver, passed away. There was so much compassion from every single person working that day. One by one, each nurse stopped in and cried with her. I could see the pain in all of their eyes. As hard as everyone was taking the news, Sarah took it just as hard. I watched as she broke down and struggled with the fact that her favorite patient needed us now, more than ever.
There are patients that tug at your heartstrings, and this patient has been one of those for us. Every single nurse on this floor had played a significant role in making this patient feel the best that she can: from stopping in to say hi, braiding her hair, decorating her room, and showing her the love that her family has been unable to give her. But Sarah has gone above and beyond. She continues to motivate her to keep going, to keep working with rehab and doing her "homework" so that she can live a better tomorrow. Sarah even just this week, once again on her own time, washed and braided her hair to make her feel good. While this is one special story, Sarah makes every patient feel special by making a personal connection and by consistently making her patients feel special and cared for. Sarah truly cares for her and all of her patients. Sarah also tries to do it all under the radar; unnoticed. It's for that reason that it's so special, and for that reason, she is a DAISY Nurse.