January 2021
Geri
Unbehend
,
BSN, RN
Emergency Room
Community Medical Center
I believe Geri embodies what it is to be a caring, compassionate, and skilled nurse who always strives to uphold and advance nursing.
When I was first beginning my career in medicine nearly 12 years ago, I was a brand new EMT working as an ED Tech. This was a new career path for me, and I only knew that I was excited to be part of something that could positively affect peoples' lives. From the start, Geri was a positive, honest, and confident leader who I could always count on to keep our Emergency Department running smoothly. Through the years as an ED Tech, she was a prime example of what a Charge Nurse should be. Caring with patience and confidence in her interactions with physicians and leadership, her main priority has always been the safety of patients and her staff.
As I progressed in my career, Geri has always been there, helping as a guide and mentor while I worked to become an RN, then a Charge Nurse in the department where I began my journey in healthcare. Her example and guidance have shaped what it means to me to be a great nurse, whether coordinating an overwhelmed Emergency Department or being the voice of nursing as president of our chapter of the MNA. She has demonstrated what it means to be resolute when defending staff and patient safety, how to juggle difficult tasks of being compassionate but steadfast with patient care, and how to put the needs of her co-workers before her own as a charge nurse.
For this nomination, I do not have a specific story to relate as examples of Geri's leadership, guidance, and positive patient interactions over my years of knowing her are too numerous to list. Instead, I can only say that her mentorship of me through my career has helped shape who I am as a nurse. She has shown me how to be caring but keep a thick skin; how to cooperate while standing firm on matters and principles of safety; how to do what all of us who entered this career path strive to do: Help people and touch lives in a positive way, but always strive to do better.
For her years-long service as MNA Local 15 President, all the above reasons, and thousands more, I believe Geri embodies what it is to be a caring, compassionate, and skilled nurse who always strives to uphold and advance nursing. More importantly, she has helped to guide my life and career in a way that I will never forget and will always be grateful for.
As I progressed in my career, Geri has always been there, helping as a guide and mentor while I worked to become an RN, then a Charge Nurse in the department where I began my journey in healthcare. Her example and guidance have shaped what it means to me to be a great nurse, whether coordinating an overwhelmed Emergency Department or being the voice of nursing as president of our chapter of the MNA. She has demonstrated what it means to be resolute when defending staff and patient safety, how to juggle difficult tasks of being compassionate but steadfast with patient care, and how to put the needs of her co-workers before her own as a charge nurse.
For this nomination, I do not have a specific story to relate as examples of Geri's leadership, guidance, and positive patient interactions over my years of knowing her are too numerous to list. Instead, I can only say that her mentorship of me through my career has helped shape who I am as a nurse. She has shown me how to be caring but keep a thick skin; how to cooperate while standing firm on matters and principles of safety; how to do what all of us who entered this career path strive to do: Help people and touch lives in a positive way, but always strive to do better.
For her years-long service as MNA Local 15 President, all the above reasons, and thousands more, I believe Geri embodies what it is to be a caring, compassionate, and skilled nurse who always strives to uphold and advance nursing. More importantly, she has helped to guide my life and career in a way that I will never forget and will always be grateful for.