left to right, Kristi, Karen, Mary, Michele, Judith, Jaclyn, Rhonda, Barbara
June 2013
Judith
Castner
,
RN, BSN, WCON
Wound Care
Hilton Head Hospital
Hilton Head
,
SC
United States
This is a nurse who always manages to make herself available to others. She seems to work under the radar, you know she is there to help. She has worked here for 7 years and while we all know her, she does little to call attention to all that she does for us. She helps keep our patients safe from infections, from prolonged and/or unnecessary foley catheters and central lines. Her quiet and calm demeanor is reassuring to the patients and their families.
She was an important member of our STOP BSI Team. Judy took on the additional duty of monitoring and changing the sterile dressings of all central lines on both the ACU and PCU. She re-educated and made sure that each staff nurse passed a rturn demonstration competency to change a dressing of the line should she be unavailable. This has been key in keeping our Central line Associated Bloodstream infection rate low.
Because of her, our decubitus rate in this hospital has remained at Zero. From patient teaching to staff education, she has brought a new focus to skin care.
Her input to the products purchased always has patient care and comfort at the forefront. She has developed teaching program for new diabetics, patients with ostomies, and post-surgical care. On several occasions, she goes out of her way to assure that patients have all the necessary appliances they need before discharge. She intervenes with the suppliers to obtain wound vacs for patinets with little or no insurance coverage for at home wound vac care. Her compassions and sensitivity for these patients that are experiencing major life-changing events are extraordinary. Physicians and surgeons alike depend on her for her expertise for managing simple to somtimes very difficult and complex wounds.
The best example of Judy's dedication to patient care both physical and emotional involved a long term "down on his luck" patient with a severe infection requiring much of her time and resources. He required daily wound care and sensitivity due to the nature of his infection. The patient also had life challenges with alcohol, and overall neglect of his health. By the time this gentleman was ready for discharge: Judy had not only healed his wounds but had contributed to his emotional healing.
After the patient was discharged, he returned on several occasions as a "changed man". Had it not been for Judy's exceptional care, he may well have returned to his life of neglect and the possibility of a lifethreatening infection. Judy exemplifies the spirit in which the DAISY Award was created. Her compassion and highly specialized knowledge of a field not known for its glamour, makes her an extremely valuable resource to the patients, the community, and all of us here at HHH.
She was an important member of our STOP BSI Team. Judy took on the additional duty of monitoring and changing the sterile dressings of all central lines on both the ACU and PCU. She re-educated and made sure that each staff nurse passed a rturn demonstration competency to change a dressing of the line should she be unavailable. This has been key in keeping our Central line Associated Bloodstream infection rate low.
Because of her, our decubitus rate in this hospital has remained at Zero. From patient teaching to staff education, she has brought a new focus to skin care.
Her input to the products purchased always has patient care and comfort at the forefront. She has developed teaching program for new diabetics, patients with ostomies, and post-surgical care. On several occasions, she goes out of her way to assure that patients have all the necessary appliances they need before discharge. She intervenes with the suppliers to obtain wound vacs for patinets with little or no insurance coverage for at home wound vac care. Her compassions and sensitivity for these patients that are experiencing major life-changing events are extraordinary. Physicians and surgeons alike depend on her for her expertise for managing simple to somtimes very difficult and complex wounds.
The best example of Judy's dedication to patient care both physical and emotional involved a long term "down on his luck" patient with a severe infection requiring much of her time and resources. He required daily wound care and sensitivity due to the nature of his infection. The patient also had life challenges with alcohol, and overall neglect of his health. By the time this gentleman was ready for discharge: Judy had not only healed his wounds but had contributed to his emotional healing.
After the patient was discharged, he returned on several occasions as a "changed man". Had it not been for Judy's exceptional care, he may well have returned to his life of neglect and the possibility of a lifethreatening infection. Judy exemplifies the spirit in which the DAISY Award was created. Her compassion and highly specialized knowledge of a field not known for its glamour, makes her an extremely valuable resource to the patients, the community, and all of us here at HHH.