Desiree Dick has been our manager for about a year. She was our Hospice Admission Nurse before becoming our Clinical Manager. We had some clinical manger turnover in the last few years and the group was functioning but needed consistent, knowledgeable leadership. She was an excellent admission nurse and brought those skills as well as management skills into this position. She can function in any of the positions - Case Manager, Admissions, or On Call and does not hesitate to help when needed. My story is an example of this.
I had a patient in Tallassee that when I arrived for a visit, she was actively dying. This was a sudden decline and there were no comfort meds available. The family was very distressed as I explained that patient's death was imminent. The patient was unable to swallow, and I needed liquid Morphine. Tallassee drug stores do not carry this med and could not get it for 24-48 hours, but of course my need was immediate.
I called the physician and got a prescription faxed to a Montgomery pharmacy. I called Desiree and explained the situation and she offered to pick the meds up and bring them to the home in Tallassee. She was willing and able to do this for the patient and for me as I did not feel I could leave the patient or their family at this time. She is accessible and always answers her phone or immediately calls back. We are all out in the field seeing our patients and we all work well autonomously, but sometimes we do need another view of a situation or to simply access someone and Desiree is that "go to" person. Desiree is always willing to go the extra mile. She is the ultimate professional and is caring and supportive, but it is the "What can I do to help you" attitude that makes her stand out. She supports not only the nurses but all our staff including aides, social workers, chaplains and administrative staff. She is an excellent nurse and an outstanding manager. I think she is the perfect representative for the DAISY Nurse Leader Award.