Bonnie started at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center in April of 2012. I can still remember sitting in what at the time was the consultation room in the ED to interview her with the other charge nurses. She had such a warm, caring and inviting personality. Then she so innocently asked, "you don't mind if I bring food in to share when I work do you? I love to feed people!" And boy does she. Bonnie brings in enough food to feed anyone who comes through the ED on a given night, not leaving anyone out: doctors, nurses, lab, EMS, even police and county deputies find a reason to stop by Lakewood Ranch to see if Bonnie cooked that night.
And that is just a small literal taste of what it is like to work with Bonnie. She brings a level of compassion, care, concern, and heart that is unmatched. It truly matters to her what happens to each and every person, every time. It is not just a job to her. You could call her from any floor of the hospital, any department, and she would come lend a hand. That is just who Bonnie is and what she does.
She leads through example, setting the bar high. She has been instrumental in some of the tough initiatives that have been accomplished here at Lakewood Ranch, such as the ED Vertical Flow process, the admission process, the lab and x-ray turnaround initiatives, Stroke Certification, Sepsis, and currently working on Chest Pain Accreditation. She works hard to hit our goals, she helps to set those goals and she works alongside the staff to meet those goals. Her staff will step up when she asks them to because they know she is right there doing the same. I continue to get phone calls and compliment cards on a consistent basis complimenting Bonnie on her exceptional way that she makes patients feel at ease, comfortable, and safe when she cares for them in the ED. That is one of the highest compliments that you can receive. One call that I received just recently was from a daughter who lost her father. She stated that Bonnie took the time to explain things to her, to allow her to watch as we attempted to save her father (observe the code) and afterward allowed her the time that she needed to say goodbye. She stated that she never felt rushed or pushed off. She really felt like Bonnie took every piece of her father's care personally as if it were her own father.
That is not something that is abnormal for Bonnie. She goes above and beyond every time to be sure that patients and families are taken care of as if they are all VIPs.
Another example is when we were caring for a pediatric patient that was not doing very well. Everyone was focusing on the child, but Bonnie had the time and took the opportunity to make the family feel like they're important as well. She settled them into a room, gave them coffee and updated them frequently on the care of the child. They needed that extra TLC and Southern hospitality, Bonnie is just the person to do it.
We appreciate her as a co-worker and I know families appreciate her care and compassion every time she comes to work.