Allyson Shaw
December 2018
Allyson
Shaw
,
RN, BSN
Medical Surgical
Albany Medical Center
Albany
,
NY
United States
I would like to thank my nurse and share my story of why this nurse is so special:
Allyson's ("Ally") compassion, kindness, and empathy, coupled with her highly skilled competence make her a DAISY Nurse.
I am not a clinician, and therefore I hesitate to focus on Ally's technical nursing skills. I have every reason to believe that her technical skills are commensurate with all of the other traits she demonstrated, and upon which I base this nomination.
My mother was admitted to E3 in late September, and her four days in the hospital were a challenge due to hospital-induced delirium and agitation. Without exception, every single team member treated her with compassion and empathy (a culture for which AMC should be acknowledged), but Ally's interest and concern for her patient and her patient's family exceeded all expectations, even in a culture of caring.
Separate from Ally's treatment of my mother, I witnessed her empathy and kindness towards an elderly, fragile roommate who did not have family present for support. I saw Ally make time, over and over again, in her very busy, multi-task, high-stake filled days to sit quietly with her patient, hold her hand, help her to eat, do activities with her to calm and meaningfully engage her, demonstrating assurance that was not alone.
I appreciated Ally's creative and effective strategies to problem-solve. She was entirely patient-centered, never losing sight of the treatment goals, but also able to be flexible as needed to attain them. She was a wealth of information, and as the primary caregiver, I also appreciated her sharing information with me and ensuring that information was timely and effectively communicated among all team members, including the physicians, and the family. In addition, Ally proved to be an adept listener and provided much-needed clarity in a period when some complicated decisions needed to be made.
There are skills that simply cannot be taught, such as compassion and insight. Those are some of what makes Ally even more remarkable. The depth of her compassion and insight belie her years of experience and chronological age. She embodies all the characteristics that patients and their families hope their nurses have. I always will be grateful to Ally for everything she did for my mother under less-than-ideal circumstances, and thinking of her kindness and care will remind me of the goodness in this world.
Allyson's ("Ally") compassion, kindness, and empathy, coupled with her highly skilled competence make her a DAISY Nurse.
I am not a clinician, and therefore I hesitate to focus on Ally's technical nursing skills. I have every reason to believe that her technical skills are commensurate with all of the other traits she demonstrated, and upon which I base this nomination.
My mother was admitted to E3 in late September, and her four days in the hospital were a challenge due to hospital-induced delirium and agitation. Without exception, every single team member treated her with compassion and empathy (a culture for which AMC should be acknowledged), but Ally's interest and concern for her patient and her patient's family exceeded all expectations, even in a culture of caring.
Separate from Ally's treatment of my mother, I witnessed her empathy and kindness towards an elderly, fragile roommate who did not have family present for support. I saw Ally make time, over and over again, in her very busy, multi-task, high-stake filled days to sit quietly with her patient, hold her hand, help her to eat, do activities with her to calm and meaningfully engage her, demonstrating assurance that was not alone.
I appreciated Ally's creative and effective strategies to problem-solve. She was entirely patient-centered, never losing sight of the treatment goals, but also able to be flexible as needed to attain them. She was a wealth of information, and as the primary caregiver, I also appreciated her sharing information with me and ensuring that information was timely and effectively communicated among all team members, including the physicians, and the family. In addition, Ally proved to be an adept listener and provided much-needed clarity in a period when some complicated decisions needed to be made.
There are skills that simply cannot be taught, such as compassion and insight. Those are some of what makes Ally even more remarkable. The depth of her compassion and insight belie her years of experience and chronological age. She embodies all the characteristics that patients and their families hope their nurses have. I always will be grateful to Ally for everything she did for my mother under less-than-ideal circumstances, and thinking of her kindness and care will remind me of the goodness in this world.