When I think about an Extraordinary Nurse, no one else comes to mind other than Annette Ramos. Annette has been part of our South Nassau team since 2001. Having worn many hats over the years as a staff nurse and an Assistant Nurse Manager, she is a well-rounded nurse. Annette Ramos is an exemplary person and a compassionate nurse.
Early this year, my unit experienced a significant staffing challenge, so much so that we had to hire travel nurses. After we lost the travel nurses, ICU was still short of an experienced nurse. Aside from the Assistant Nurse Manager, we needed a nurse to serve as a resource, educator and exemplary role model. Unanimously, we looked no further than Annette Ramos because she has more clinical experience than any other nurse in critical care. As expected, when asked to transition from CCU to ICU Annette didn't hesitate a bit.
I love Annette's humility and flexibility to accommodate her schedule and assignments for the needs of the unit. I am greatly impressed with Annette's level of professionalism. She is well respected by her managers, peers and physicians alike. Having Annette with me in ICU has been nothing short of phenomenal as she is always striving for excellence in everything that she does. I vividly remember the days when CCU was the preferred unit for the Surgical ICU team simply because Annette was there. The physicians had so much confidence in her skills that her mere presence ensured them that if any crisis were to arise, Annette would be there to save the day. Thus, transitioning Annette from CCU to ICU has significantly improved our reputation as a critical care unit. The STICU team no longer has a preferred unit and feels confident that their patient will receive great care in either unit.
Annette consistently helps in the developing the confidence of the team. She is the preferred preceptor for our unit and has even oriented one of our previous DAISY Honorees. Annette is never too busy to answer a question or lend a helping hand to anyone. Staff finds her so invaluable that on the days when management if off, they text her at home for advice. Annette is a great resource for rapid response nurses and she occasionally rotates to rapid response when no one else can cover. Annette is a great resource for other units as well and can be seen on other units helping out with translation.
When it comes to patient care, Annette is truly a compassionate nurse, treating each patient and family member as one of her family members. I have seen on several occasions how tactfully she interacts in difficult situations. Annette is skillful in helping patients and families with the grieving process. During a comfort care process, Annette will sit one to one with that family giving them special attention utilizing therapeutic touch and comforting tone. When I make leadership rounds, families frequently praise her for the excellent care and compassion. Families often comment that they feel safe that she's their nurse. On behalf of all the ICU staff, I would like to acknowledge Annette for her outstanding service to our patients, families and South Nassau Communities Hospital!