January 2023
Andrea
Nicholson
,
RN, MSN
Menino 7 East
Boston Medical Center
Boston
,
MA
United States
She is a good listener, which makes her a good nurse director. She responds to the needs of her staff, works tirelessly, and has the interest of her staff and patients at heart.
Andrea Nicholson, MSN RN, Nurse Director 7E, has been an integral part of this organization for over 30 years; she went through all odds to become the nurse director she is today (from transporter to phlebotomist, to nursing assistant, to staff nurse, and to charge nurse). She is the epitome of handwork and excellence—A-Never Say Die Personality! That, to me, is a huge challenge to overcome and should be a motivation for the younger generation of nurses. She is a brave, very compassionate, team-building, and diligent individual. Andrea radiates positive energy, a proactive and problem-solving attitude, and is very approachable.
She inspires everyone around her, and her exploits in this organization have boosted the morale of many. For example, she encourages housekeepers to train as nursing assistants and empowers them to further their education in their nursing careers—what others see as trash, Andrea sees as a treasure.
It is on record that Andrea has made a valuable impact in the nursing division; she welcomes positive innovation. She is very active in promoting evidence-based practices - POD nursing, assignments, and bedside handoff. She is passionate about patient safety, for example, safety huddling (at noon, midnight, and weekends) --our goal in this, is to prevent falls, as well as maintaining patient safety. Also, we maintain quietness on the floor, because we believe that “our patients heal faster while they sleep.” She recently won an award for Quality and Safety. Also, the patient experience survey has numerously acknowledged her initiatives on the floor.
She is a team builder and encourages her staff to continue to work as a team and support each other throughout the shift. For example, in November last year, our Unit Based Council (UBC) provided a luncheon for our team of doctors, enhancing the nurses and doctors’ relationship for efficient patient care delivery. We also celebrated Thanksgiving and had a holiday party with doctors. This relationship is also aimed at boosting the morale of the team.
She is a mentor and provides support for nurses by initiating “Pick your Buddy” (This is to give a sense of belonging to float nurses and other nurses so they can feel at home to give their best). Also, “Ranting with Racheal” (having a forum for the expression of feelings and exchange of ideas that can enhance patient care delivery). She created an inspirational board for all her staff, where we refresh our minds. Now, we are piloting the “Commit to Sit Challenge” (which is to sit with the patient, talk, and ask them how their day is going).
She is also accessible; she is always open to constructive feedback that helps our unit to continue to strive for excellence. She is a good listener, which makes her a good nurse director. She responds to the needs of her staff, works tirelessly, and has the interest of her staff and patients at heart.
Our nursing director is a problem solver, who makes sure that her patients and staff have the best care options. For example, we have a patient who has been on our floor for over a year now and has aggressive behavior, a high risk for falls, and whose care is time-consuming.
Andrea collaborated with the staff and mapped out a plan of care for him, we moved the patient closer to the nursing station to increase safety for both patient and staff, nurses caring for him must have fewer patient assignments, and he must be rotatory among staff.
Our nurse director has promoted the image of nursing at BMC through her personal qualities and capabilities, as evidenced in her career profile. She is a kind and compassionate individual who inspires so many nurses to attain professional excellence. Again, she is passionate about patient safety, teamwork, and evidence-based practices. I consider her a huge challenge in the nursing profession.
She inspires everyone around her, and her exploits in this organization have boosted the morale of many. For example, she encourages housekeepers to train as nursing assistants and empowers them to further their education in their nursing careers—what others see as trash, Andrea sees as a treasure.
It is on record that Andrea has made a valuable impact in the nursing division; she welcomes positive innovation. She is very active in promoting evidence-based practices - POD nursing, assignments, and bedside handoff. She is passionate about patient safety, for example, safety huddling (at noon, midnight, and weekends) --our goal in this, is to prevent falls, as well as maintaining patient safety. Also, we maintain quietness on the floor, because we believe that “our patients heal faster while they sleep.” She recently won an award for Quality and Safety. Also, the patient experience survey has numerously acknowledged her initiatives on the floor.
She is a team builder and encourages her staff to continue to work as a team and support each other throughout the shift. For example, in November last year, our Unit Based Council (UBC) provided a luncheon for our team of doctors, enhancing the nurses and doctors’ relationship for efficient patient care delivery. We also celebrated Thanksgiving and had a holiday party with doctors. This relationship is also aimed at boosting the morale of the team.
She is a mentor and provides support for nurses by initiating “Pick your Buddy” (This is to give a sense of belonging to float nurses and other nurses so they can feel at home to give their best). Also, “Ranting with Racheal” (having a forum for the expression of feelings and exchange of ideas that can enhance patient care delivery). She created an inspirational board for all her staff, where we refresh our minds. Now, we are piloting the “Commit to Sit Challenge” (which is to sit with the patient, talk, and ask them how their day is going).
She is also accessible; she is always open to constructive feedback that helps our unit to continue to strive for excellence. She is a good listener, which makes her a good nurse director. She responds to the needs of her staff, works tirelessly, and has the interest of her staff and patients at heart.
Our nursing director is a problem solver, who makes sure that her patients and staff have the best care options. For example, we have a patient who has been on our floor for over a year now and has aggressive behavior, a high risk for falls, and whose care is time-consuming.
Andrea collaborated with the staff and mapped out a plan of care for him, we moved the patient closer to the nursing station to increase safety for both patient and staff, nurses caring for him must have fewer patient assignments, and he must be rotatory among staff.
Our nurse director has promoted the image of nursing at BMC through her personal qualities and capabilities, as evidenced in her career profile. She is a kind and compassionate individual who inspires so many nurses to attain professional excellence. Again, she is passionate about patient safety, teamwork, and evidence-based practices. I consider her a huge challenge in the nursing profession.