Sandy Phillips
May 2023
Sandy
Phillips
,
RN
Medical Surgical / ER
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center
Elkader
,
IA
United States

 

 

 

Sandy cares personally for every patient she sees in a day. Nobody is more or less important than the next. They are all important to her.  
Sandy is an excellent example of what all nurses should strive to be. She has touched many lives and helped speed the recovery of many patients.  Her pleasant disposition makes the worst days more pleasurable for patients and all those who work with her or encounter her. 

I have had the honor to work with this rock-solid, fun-loving, bedside nurse and charge nurse for many years. Sandy goes well above and beyond what is expected of her to make sure each patient has his or her needs met. She brings an extra flair to holidays and special occasions for patients. She can be found in low census times, playing cards or board games with patients to help make their stay more enjoyable.  

She possesses great compassion, professionalism, and teamwork. She is thorough in her assessment of patients, sharing her knowledge and teaching less seasoned staff. She is a patient advocate.  She gives patients & families the utmost dignity in dire situations and provides extraordinary, skillful, and compassionate care when the time is needed. She picks up extra nursing shifts and comes in immediately in crisis situations to lend a helping hand.  

She has a passion for the facility, its leaders, and her peers as well as our patients at MercyOne Elkader Medical Center. She epitomizes what is means to be an excellent nurse.

I have witnessed her compassion, care, and professionalism, many times throughout my years working at MercyOne Elkader Medical Center. 

A situation that comes to mind is Sandy obtained a 50th Anniversary card for a patient who had gone home the week before with a terminal diagnosis. She was aware the patient & his wife would be celebrating their 50th Anniversary soon and the patient had the desire to live till his anniversary. The card was brought in so MercyOne Elkader Medical Center staff could sign it. This card was delivered to the patient & wife prior to their anniversary and his death. This demonstrated care and compassion way beyond the doors of MercyOne Elkader Medical Center.  

In the past, I witnessed her professionalism and skillful care, as the mother of a 12-year-old in the ER. Sandy took the time to understand the needs of my daughter and my concerns as a parent. She made a stressful situation bearable. She demonstrated the utmost skills in starting an IV on the first stick on a very scared child (this was a feat that took 7 sticks, the next day, in a large tertiary center, where my daughter asked if Sandy could come and start the IV). To this day my daughter states she is the best nurse she has encountered. 
Her selfless care is so appreciated, and I know she gives the same care to all her patients. Sandy cares personally for every patient she sees in a day. Nobody is more or less important than the next. They are all important to her.  

I believe she is the absolute epitome of a DAISY Nurse; she deserves the award for her amazing, wonderful, and excellent care.  She is a phenomenal nurse, loving mother, and grandmother and brings joy to every situation.