I first met Melinda as my preceptor within this facility as a new grad. I remember she set a high bar for excellent practice. I would go into rooms with her and she would just see everything that needed to be done and quietly moved about the room taking care of each of those things, all the while maintaining a connection with her patients. She knew exactly the right things to ask and how. She prioritized the right thing at the right time and asked the hard questions. She guided me with consistent and exacting encouragement to make me think harder, deeper, and more thoroughly about what was happening and what needed to be done. I wanted so desperately to please her in my work, and I am sure there were many moments when she wondered what she was going to do with me (I may have received an eye roll or two). She shared that the service of nursing was something so deeply personal to her, that she took her job and patient outcomes very seriously as her eyes, ears, heart, and mind represented patient needs.

That was 17 years ago this month and I would like to believe I indeed owe much of my success in large part to the foundation that she set for me all those years ago. She is what a bedside nurse should be. Melinda is a nurse’s nurse! As the nature of our relationship has changed and we now work together in leadership roles, the ways that she continues to lead and guide us all remain incalculable. There are few people more reliable than Melinda. When a question is asked, or a request is made, she thinks earnestly about all of the contributing factors, all of the necessary implications, all of the affected parties, and comes back with solid opinions, and potential solutions. Always. She doesn’t forget a thing. She brings people together when necessary to do so and also respects everyone’s valuable time.

Her attention to detail is absolutely remarkable. There is no room for confusion; the way she illustrates the issues at hand and the proposed options leave us all in the dust. Her understanding of our medical record system and its impact on staff and patient alike is without comparison. She really digs deep into problems and understands them in a very tangible way. Her finesse with the charting system may not be what she would desire in her legacy but it is really very important that we get it right and to her bones, she cares about systems thinking. She sees everyone’s perspective and gives it all consideration. Her mind is consistently cranking out pdsa cycles: her follow-through is without exception record-setting. A quick review of tasks in her hands: CBI documentation, I&O documentation, and calculation, COVID relief staff organization, Volunteer duties/responsibilities, Student Nurse extern program, SO/GI documentation, Opioid use on discharge, Barcode scanning labels for medications, vaccination documentation, Adopt a family Christmas gift organization, Witness for medication administration documentation, Pharmaceutical waste appropriate use and waste table, Weight discrepancy documentation, Care Coordination Meeting, Admission Mpage tip sheet/work, Oxygen device documentation, task to Iview link, High Risk Skin Careset tasks, Blood Product hand out on discharge, LTD documentation, Lunch break practice, IHI wellness group, IVY Home Infusions SOP, Crisis Charting, Careset management, work with Procare, supported Dialysis reboot, gives meaningful, relatable, impactful safety stories, chosen valuable WIG project and has made moves on them all… this is only what I personally know about.

But the very best thing I think that she does is connect with and support her coworkers in her department and the nursing role in our facility. She has grown so many of us to be strong independent thinkers. She endlessly advocates for the right thing, even when the cost could be great. She does not shy away from hard work or hard conversations; “Walk softly and carry a big stick” comes to mind. She also has been in service to her coworkers at a personal expense… she was working part-time, and took on this leadership role full-time with the support of her family in order to give her department the best chance for success.

I looked up to her then, and I look up to her now and when someone mistakenly called me “Melinda” in the hall stating that she had some service awards for “my” coworkers in her office, I certainly took that as the highest honors, went and picked up the awards and delivered them to the real star myself. There is no excelling past what Melinda does. Please consider her for this well-deserved recognition.