Barbara
Ravida
September 2013
Barbara
Ravida
,
MSN CCRN ANP-BC
Cardiac Progressive Care Unit
Beth Israel Medical center
New York
,
NY
United States

 

 

 

As the nurse manager of the CPCU I am proud to say that I have several nurses on my unit who I could nominate for this prestigious award. However, they only meet one or more of the DAISY Award criteria. There is one nurse who not only meets all the criteria, and consistently meets them. Barbara Ravida is a shining example of what this noble profession is and should be.

Makes a significant difference in the life of a patient

Any patient in the CPCU who is assigned to Ms. Ravida is guaranteed the best physical, spiritual, and emotional care possible. When caring for her patients Ms. Ravida always uses the nursing science, policies, procedures, and protocols necessary to manage their care, what sets her apart from other nurses is the manner in which she uses evidence based practice to give" good old fashioned bedside nursing care ". Our patient population is predominately Cardiac and Thoracic, however, every patient receives a complete assessment of every system, including; "the bowel movement system" "the out of bed system" 'the meal system" "the patient teaching system". The appropriate assessments, interventions and referrals are always done for her patients.

Uses critical thinking skills in the delivery of extraordinary patient care

Ms. Ravida obtained her CCRN certification last year, thus it is evident that she has the knowledge to manage a critically ill patient. However, on many occasions Ms. Ravida was able to identify potential problems in a patient before it progressed to a rapid response situation. This level of patient care that Ms. Ravida practices can only be accomplished by meticulous monitoring of patients' labs, cardiac rhythm, and critical decision making before deleterious changes occur.

Generates enthusiasm and energy towards meeting the challenges of nursing

Many years of nursing practice has not jaded Ms. Ravida's zeal for the nursing profession. As the team leader she sets the tone for her team members. Whether she is caring for one patient or five, she gives each one the highest level of care. She approaches unitbased initiatives, such as the skin savers projects and the unit-based council, with fervor and confidence thus fostering "buy-in" from her team members.

Creates an environment for others to learn

As the team leader and primary preceptor for the unit, Ms. Ravida is instrumental in the creation of an environment for others to learn. Her broad clinical, procedural, and protocol knowledge base is the foundation of this environment, along with remarkable organizational skills and impeccable nursing practice. Graduate, novice, and even seasoned nurses, have a great deal of respect, confidence and security in their interactions with Ms. Ravida, thus allowing them to thrive in this environment.

Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills with Peers and co-workers

Ms. Ravida is the chairperson of several committees, the unit team leader and main preceptor. These are roles and responsibilities which require excellent interpersonal skills; Ms. Ravida has been successful in these roles as evidenced by her accomplishments in these areas.

Demonstrates caring and compassion

Ms. Ravida's care and compassion is evidenced by the many verbal as well as written accolades she received from patients who she cared for. Last year one of her patient's cats needed to be fed and she along with another colleague went to the patient's apartment to feed the cats. In addition to caring for her patients, Ms. Ravida shows care and compassion for her colleagues as well, they often go to her in times of personal crisis and she is always supportive.

Personal view

As Ms. Ravida's nurse manager I am truly honored to nominate her for the DAISY Award. On her duty days Ms. Ravida works tirelessly, caring for her patients, managing her team leader duties, and council work, without compromising the care of her patients. Ms. Ravida is an incredible asset to our nursing profession.