The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Amy is that she reminds of why I became an RN. She puts her patients' welfare and needs above all else. She approaches the most difficult situations with a smile while she calmly finds ways to de-escalate a tenuous unit. Amy will bring in clothes for patients who have none. Frequently patients who are so pre-occupied with internal stimuli will seek out Amy because she will spend the time to talk with them, help them to find a solution to a problem, or simply and most importantly just listen. Families will also seek out Amy for information and support. She is quick to help a co-worker as well as other units. Amy was quick to respond to a patient who tied clothes around her neck and was quick to remove it and the situation was resolved without incident. She is a leader among the nurses on the TRU/CRU unit. Amy's willingness to try new things helps her co-workers to feel more comfortable with the changes. Amy is able to use her positive attitude, smile, and sense of humor to face and tackle many challenging situations. I guess the best thing I can say about Amy is that if I were a patient I would want her to be my nurse because I know I would not be lost in the shuffle.
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I have had the pleasure of working with Amy for 20 years. She has always been fun to work with, supportive, generous and thoughtful. She has always gone above and beyond when it comes to patient care. I worked with Amy on Aging and Adult and she often took time out with an anxious patient to make them a cup of tea and sat with them to talk about what was worrying them. Recently we were working together on Aging Adult and we had a very anxious and angry patient who was to receive a medication that night that she did not want but was on forced medication protocol. This patient was distraught and very vocal about her feelings so much so that the staff was avoiding her. Not, Amy, she sat with her for most of the shift and tried to comfort her and when it came time to administer the medication. Amy stayed right by her side the entire time and even spoke with her for a while after the medication was given. This is what makes Amy special. She is as supportive of her co-workers as well, bringing treats for the staff on her shift, making coffee for everyone and she is always in a good mood!
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I only recently had the privilege of meeting Amy, but it was immediately apparent to me that she is an exceptional nurse. Amy works the night shift, but she is always willing to come early or stay late. She also picks up night shifts at the last minute, in spite of having another job. Even though she's typically working long hours on off-shifts, I have never seen Amy without a smile on her face. She really seems to enjoy her job and shows genuine compassion for the patients. That is truly inspiring. Amy knows our patients very well. She has incredible attention to detail and has been a tremendous resource in identifying risk factors and bringing them to our attention. We recently had three pregnant patients, and Amy cataloged their due dates and possible risk factors into an email and forwarded it to the treatment team and primary medicine to ensure that they received attentive care. Amy is such a tremendous resource to our unit, and we are extremely lucky to have her on our team.