We had the pleasure of meeting Patty for the first time during a very trying time in her life; Patty was on the other side of care when her daughter was in a horrible accident and was a patient of ours in ICU. During this time, Patty developed a relationship with our ICU manager Raeann. Once Raeann got to really know Patty, and knew Patty was a nurse at Vista and wanted to part of the Advocate family, it was all over from there. Raeann was on a mission to bring Patty to our float pool and approached the manager; the rest is history.

Patty Schletz started here at Condell in June of 2011 and has been an asset to Condell and the float pool since her first day. Patty's enthusiasm and positive energy can always be felt, and she is always willing to go above and beyond for the patients, families and her peers. She is always willing to help in a bind and is always a phone call or text away. She has been instrumental in helping to develop a preceptor program (in partnership of education) for the float pool, and helps prepare our new nurses for floating throughout the hospital. Patty has been described as a "great partner" and "knowledgeable on how to take care of all the different types of patients here at Condell." In one shift, Patty took care of boarders in the ER, transitioned to an admission nurse on the inpatient unit, and opened West One to care for six different patients. Do you want to know what is remarkable about Patty after following up with her the next day was? Patty's response was "I am here to do what is best for the patients and my fellow nurses. They needed me to be all that in one shift, so I did it." No Patty, you didn't just "do it;" you did it with grace, compassion, respect, calmness and professionalism.

There is something that is imbedded in Patty that you cannot teach, and that is compassion and determination. Patty's name presented itself quite a few times for this Daisy Award.

What a few people didn't know about Patty is that besides Patty having her nursing licenses, Patty is a licensed cosmetologist. Patty dropped out of high school at the age of 15, and became a teen mom. Patty worked as a hair stylist while raising her 5 children. Patty would have many conversations with her clients who often talked to her about their health issues. Patty always had an affinity for medical terminology and the different disease processes. Patty met many nurses along the way, and always felt a connection with them. When her youngest child turned 10, Patty completed her GED and the rest is history.

A few weeks ago, a less fortunate and unkempt couple presented themselves to the ER; this couple clearly had not bathed for some time, and the women's hair was so tangled and snarled, it could not be comb through. Recognizing the needs of the couple, the ER charge nurse knew who to call to help the women. Patty was called and of course she did not hesitate. Patty was not only able to help the women physically by providing a hair wash and haircut, but Patty was able to take care of the patient as a whole. Treating the patient as a "whole" is exactly what Patty does every day she is here, no matter what unit she is on, or what role she is performing. We look forward to Patty working here for many years to come; we look forward to Patty continuing to grow in her nursing career here at Advocate Condell Medical Center.