Donna Hardiman
September 2022
Donna
Hardiman
,
BSN, RN
Neurology
Lexington VA Health Care System
Lexington
,
KY
United States
There is never a day that goes by where Ms. Hardiman has not influenced direct patient care or the needs of the veterans. She is empathetic, resourceful, and a top-notch leader.
Ms. Hardiman has been the epitome of nursing care and leadership since I first met her in 2011. She is the case manager for neurology, and she oversees the very busy neurology clinic and inpatient service. There is never a day that goes by where Ms. Hardiman has not influenced direct patient care or the needs of the veterans. She is empathetic, resourceful, and a top-notch leader. She is always available to her team- from the physicians (attendings/ residents), admin staff, and APPs and is always offering to help.
Since I have worked at the VA- there have been several instances when her leadership skills, calm demeanor, and professional behavior have helped in the clinic. More recently a veteran with epilepsy came to clinic and wanted his CDL driver's license renewed, but had no idea what he had to do. Ms. Hardiman spent extra time with him going over all the details, getting information from DOT and printing this info out, and helping the veteran.
Another example of Ms. Hardiman's leadership is when she is proactive and wants to bring on improvements in our service. When I took over as service chief in June, I told her that I was looking for some information, and she got the data to me the next morning. I was very impressed with this kind of efficiency. She is always looking into ways of making our veterans' experience with neurology better and how much more we can give back to the veterans as a service.
I cannot end this without mentioning that she is a motherly figure full of compassion for our neurology residents. As an associate program director for neurology, I have heard residents singing her praises. Some residents describe her as their "Angel". Ms. Hardiman got the majority of the votes for the best staff member who supports the residency program at the Neurology Graduation in June 2022. Ms. Hardiman has worked as a nurse at the VA for over 15 years, the majority of them as the case manager for neurology. She leads by example and is compassionate and hard-working. In my 15 years as a physician, if I have ever seen a nursing leader consistently performing above job responsibilities while providing exemplary service to patients, that is Ms. Donna Hardiman and she is truly deserving of this honor.
***
Donna meets all the bullet points described above and has done so in a quiet efficient manner for the 15+ years I have interacted with her. For example, each year she goes out of her way to make the new PG2 Neurology residents feel welcomed and comfortable while also providing hands on training to each one, teaching them how to navigate CPRS with notes, consults, orders, etc. As Nurse Manager, she works with each of us to insure that patient appointments and physician availability are matched, up to 6 months prior to scheduled visits. She puts in the extra effort to answer patient/caregiver contacts and is steadfast in seeing that they communicate with their appropriate healthcare provider. She does this and much more seemingly never unruffled, impatient, angry, or with anything less than a helpful smile despite having to deal with diverse personalities, some not so calm, patient, and kind.
***
Donna is a role model to everyone - her dedication to patient care is exemplary. She goes above and beyond to make sure veterans get the care they need, be it in clinic or following up afterward and with inpatient care. She is always approachable, and accessible, and provides us not just with solutions but also empowers us to execute them. Donna not just takes care of patients but also helps us residents learn the ropes at the VA. She truly is a mentor to all staff and we are lucky to have her friendly and compassionate personality with us.
Since I have worked at the VA- there have been several instances when her leadership skills, calm demeanor, and professional behavior have helped in the clinic. More recently a veteran with epilepsy came to clinic and wanted his CDL driver's license renewed, but had no idea what he had to do. Ms. Hardiman spent extra time with him going over all the details, getting information from DOT and printing this info out, and helping the veteran.
Another example of Ms. Hardiman's leadership is when she is proactive and wants to bring on improvements in our service. When I took over as service chief in June, I told her that I was looking for some information, and she got the data to me the next morning. I was very impressed with this kind of efficiency. She is always looking into ways of making our veterans' experience with neurology better and how much more we can give back to the veterans as a service.
I cannot end this without mentioning that she is a motherly figure full of compassion for our neurology residents. As an associate program director for neurology, I have heard residents singing her praises. Some residents describe her as their "Angel". Ms. Hardiman got the majority of the votes for the best staff member who supports the residency program at the Neurology Graduation in June 2022. Ms. Hardiman has worked as a nurse at the VA for over 15 years, the majority of them as the case manager for neurology. She leads by example and is compassionate and hard-working. In my 15 years as a physician, if I have ever seen a nursing leader consistently performing above job responsibilities while providing exemplary service to patients, that is Ms. Donna Hardiman and she is truly deserving of this honor.
***
Donna meets all the bullet points described above and has done so in a quiet efficient manner for the 15+ years I have interacted with her. For example, each year she goes out of her way to make the new PG2 Neurology residents feel welcomed and comfortable while also providing hands on training to each one, teaching them how to navigate CPRS with notes, consults, orders, etc. As Nurse Manager, she works with each of us to insure that patient appointments and physician availability are matched, up to 6 months prior to scheduled visits. She puts in the extra effort to answer patient/caregiver contacts and is steadfast in seeing that they communicate with their appropriate healthcare provider. She does this and much more seemingly never unruffled, impatient, angry, or with anything less than a helpful smile despite having to deal with diverse personalities, some not so calm, patient, and kind.
***
Donna is a role model to everyone - her dedication to patient care is exemplary. She goes above and beyond to make sure veterans get the care they need, be it in clinic or following up afterward and with inpatient care. She is always approachable, and accessible, and provides us not just with solutions but also empowers us to execute them. Donna not just takes care of patients but also helps us residents learn the ropes at the VA. She truly is a mentor to all staff and we are lucky to have her friendly and compassionate personality with us.