Our values and standards are clear-Respect, Excellence, Service, Professionalism, Empathy, Communication, and Teamwork. Dallas Smedberg is the epitome of those. Each and every day he exhibits these traits, not because he has too, but because it is who he is. In thinking about how the award came to be, I can't help but think if Patrick Barnes had met Dallas Smedberg, he would have thought him to be extraordinary not only for his clinical expertise but for his compassion.

As a nurse in Endoscopy, Dallas utilizes his clinical expertise to provide our patients with the highest level of clinical and compassionate care. He uses every opportunity to connect with and teach both patients and peers. Dallas makes a connection with a patient in such they remember his name despite the effects of anesthesia or even conscious sedation. If the patient has a less than optimal diagnosis after a procedure, Dallas will routinely circle back and sit with the patient to offer emotional support, despite working in a fast paced environment. This connection is so strong that patients recognized him on their next trip back and routinely he strikes up a conversation putting the patient at ease, creating an environment of hope and healing.

Dallas is routinely mentioned on our discharge call backs and on the patient experience as being "a gem" or "Dallas made me feel so comfortable." He treats everyone with respect and goes out of his way to help those in need without any thought to it.

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Just wanted to say thank you for your help the other day! I'm sure you were on your way to do something else, when I stopped you for help with a visitor. You helped me connect our visitor to the patient she was looking for and didn't skip a beat! You provided the world class service we have been talking about! Thank you Dallas!

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In regards to using critical thinking to deliver extraordinary care, Dallas goes above and beyond. He is the clinical leader for therapeutic endoscopy cases. Dallas developed a clinical checklist for all the necessary information each patient needs before the patient can have the procedure done. Thus, when he is in the procedure room, he has a clear and concise picture of the patient and is able to answer any and all questions that arise. This may sound simple however, complicated gastric cancer patients pose a challenge even to the most astute nurse yet Dallas meets this challenge head on, never misses a piece of the puzzle.

Unlike inpatient nursing units, the Endoscopy unit does not lend itself to giving the nurses the opportunities to really get to know their patients and their needs. So in this fast paced environment making a connection is truly a personal accomplishment, yet if you knew Dallas, it's not an accomplishment but just who he is and what he does day in and day out.