Roxanne May
January 2014
Roxanne
May
,
RN
Children's Resource
Sanford Health
Fargo
,
ND
United States
The DAISY Award was created to honor nursing excellence for nurses whose work is taken for granted because that is just what they do. It's part of their job. Roxanne would just say that, it's my job and that's what I do. But she is doing so much more in the process of her daily job. There is not just one situation to say "That is why she epitomizes nursing excellence." She is doing it every day.
Roxanne is a Children's Resource Team nurse. You have heard the phrase "Jack of all Trades, Master of none"; well Roxanne is "Jack of all Trades, Master of All". She can take care of your sickest infant in the NICU to the sickest patient in the PICU. In between those roles she is a mentor, teacher, preceptor, charge nurse extraordinaire. You will hear staff say they are glad when she is charge nurse in the PICU because no matter the situation she remains calm under pressure and leads everyone through the day. She is a seeker of knowledge and shares that with her co-workers. She will look up anything she doesn't know or have a discussion with the doctors to understand a medical condition. She takes the time in a busy assignment to cuddle a baby whose mom is not able to be there. She will work with a young child who needs help with their developmental skills. Then there are the teenagers who she finds a way to tell them that suicide is not the answer. In her free time she sews infant bereavement gowns and bonnets for The Family Birth Center.
The caring and compassion that she shows her patients and families is unending. The reassurance that she gives the families after explaining medical jargon not quite understood after the doctor spoke to them is priceless. Then there's the bedside care making sure everything is done "the right way". Losing a patient is one of the hardest things. Especially when it means losing someone you have cared for many years. Recently she had to say goodbye to a special patient. She had many firsts with this patient and family over the past 13 years. During this time she was the family's charge nurse, primary nurse, confidant, and the one they looked to during those critical times. She was special to this family. She did this all with humility and grace. She would say this is my job and that's the way it should be done. After the family said goodbye to their little girl, Roxanne received a hug with the words spoken "Thank you for being my friend."
Nursing excellence displayed by doing her job with humility and grace every day. Excellence in bedside care showing not only excellent clinical skills but also the compassion to hold the hands of patients and families praying that healing will take place.
Roxanne is a Children's Resource Team nurse. You have heard the phrase "Jack of all Trades, Master of none"; well Roxanne is "Jack of all Trades, Master of All". She can take care of your sickest infant in the NICU to the sickest patient in the PICU. In between those roles she is a mentor, teacher, preceptor, charge nurse extraordinaire. You will hear staff say they are glad when she is charge nurse in the PICU because no matter the situation she remains calm under pressure and leads everyone through the day. She is a seeker of knowledge and shares that with her co-workers. She will look up anything she doesn't know or have a discussion with the doctors to understand a medical condition. She takes the time in a busy assignment to cuddle a baby whose mom is not able to be there. She will work with a young child who needs help with their developmental skills. Then there are the teenagers who she finds a way to tell them that suicide is not the answer. In her free time she sews infant bereavement gowns and bonnets for The Family Birth Center.
The caring and compassion that she shows her patients and families is unending. The reassurance that she gives the families after explaining medical jargon not quite understood after the doctor spoke to them is priceless. Then there's the bedside care making sure everything is done "the right way". Losing a patient is one of the hardest things. Especially when it means losing someone you have cared for many years. Recently she had to say goodbye to a special patient. She had many firsts with this patient and family over the past 13 years. During this time she was the family's charge nurse, primary nurse, confidant, and the one they looked to during those critical times. She was special to this family. She did this all with humility and grace. She would say this is my job and that's the way it should be done. After the family said goodbye to their little girl, Roxanne received a hug with the words spoken "Thank you for being my friend."
Nursing excellence displayed by doing her job with humility and grace every day. Excellence in bedside care showing not only excellent clinical skills but also the compassion to hold the hands of patients and families praying that healing will take place.