Beth is known to have a “black cloud,” and if she is charging, we can anticipate a crazy day in store for the unit. Regardless of how chaotic a day may be, her leadership abilities make you feel seen, heard, and taken care of. I consider myself still a baby nurse with only 5 years of experience, and many of us can look to her 30+ years of experience for guidance and support. If we’re short on supplies, she will round the corner with a bag of what you need. If we’re short-staffed, she will pick up a shift. If she hears a newborn resuscitation alarm, she’ll be the first person in the room with gloves to help. She is the definition of a team player; she is fair and unselfish in her leadership. Patients aren’t always touched by her, but we as a unit are touched by her presence, compassion, work ethic, and wisdom.
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During Nurses’ Week, we took time to reflect on what nursing means and what it is to be a good nurse. One of our colleagues came up with the suggestion of nominating Beth for a well-deserved DAISY Award, in hopes of showing her how much she means to us. Beth is the epitome of selflessness. She is kind, she is fair, competent, and organized, and simply put…. The backbone of our unit. Beth rarely interacts with patients the way a staff nurse does due to primarily charging, but in reality, Beth is the reason all of our patients do so well. She is always in the background, helping us cross our T’s and dot our I’s.