Christine is an extraordinary nurse who works on D2W, our stroke unit. Christine is thoroughly engaged in improving patient outcomes and promoting a positive practice environment for other nurses. She is an active participant in numerous committees that focus on optimizing patient and staff outcomes. Her colleagues recognize her for her strong leadership skills - as a charge nurse, wound care champion, stroke champion and diabetic champion. She clearly recognizes the value of teamwork and maintains a solution-oriented approach to any challenge that faces her or her team.
Christine is action oriented. She autonomously developed a non-TPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) Neuro Flowsheet that she presented to her manager and now has been used by her unit colleagues for over 2 years. The flowsheet was specifically crafted to document assessments and reassessments for the stroke population to ensure the very best care for this vulnerable population. She also independently developed an ambulation board to foster increased awareness among all team members, including patients and families, on the importance of early and consistent ambulation in enhancing outcomes that include decreasing length of stay, decreasing falls and pressure injuries, and enriching the patient experience.
Christine exemplifies our STAAR standards of behavior and illustrates a caring demeanor in all interaction with the patients and families she serves. She is a professional member of the ANA and was an early pioneer in achieving her SCRN (Stroke Certified RN) credential on her unit. Christine recognizes the innate value of professional development. She is currently enrolled in a Nurse Practitioner Program and seeks to influence nursing practice and patient care even beyond her current role. Her abilities as an exemplary preceptor are recognized by her leadership team, her peers, and most especially by the new nurses who she "takes under her wing". She has a wonderful ability to teach others and is recognized as a genuine leader and an inspirational role model. She readily involves herself in unit team activities and contributes to an optimistic culture that her team is known for. Christine is an individual who consistently embodies the true spirit of nursing - commitment, engagement, action and above all, caring.