Rachel is an amazing example of one of our own, who has grown from exceptional PCA to a phenomenal primary care Charge Nurse. If Florence Nightingale had a list of nurses that represent the independent practice of nursing, she would be on it! Just the other day, we had a patient who was severely malnourished because she had been following a nutrient-poor diet for 10 years. This affected her ability to move in any way and participate in activities. She had been in the hospital for more than 15 days and no one had been able to determine how to help her eat better, especially due to language and cultural barriers. Rachel made it her mission to learn more about cultural preference and her medical history, because she said, "I just know that there is a huge part of her that we are missing." Her persistence and perseverance led to the discovery of one food item she really appreciated "chicken broth" of which the patient had more than one. I received a text later that night stating "Guess who is eating chicken broth?" She had truly broken this patient's ten-year cycle of eating a particular diet!
Years from now, I know this patient will think about Rachel fondly and how she significantly enhanced her well-being. Rachel's compassion to understand the patient's condition and cultural preferences, persistence and perseverance brought about a cascade of positive events and led to the patient being discharged to where she needed to be in the next few days. It is a true honor to work alongside Rachel as a nurse and charge nurse every day. We are so proud of who you have become.