Dani Baker
October 2025
Dani
Baker
,
BSN, PMH-BC
Inpatient Psychiatric Services
Children's Hospital Colorado
Aurora
,
CO
United States
I know Dani's goals were the safety of staff and the patient, and their foresight and clinical skill were impressive.
Dani is an exceptional nurse, and it can be seen through their everyday approach with patients and staff. Dani is a hands-on charge nurse, making sure their staff are prepared and supported as necessary to provide the best care they possibly can. One of the most intense situations I've been able to witness Dani excel in was when IPU had a teen who was escalated, attempting to climb into the ceiling again with the goal of getting himself into the restraint chair. Dani made sure to get support early and called the ACMs to come support, and as soon as a hold was initiated, Dani called a BART. Dani was adamant that they wanted us to have enough support that we could switch out of the hold as needed. I know Dani's goals were the safety of staff and the patient, and their foresight and clinical skill were impressive. I felt so lucky to have Dani as charge nurse that day, and really grew my trust in them as a leader of our unit. Dani also shows their compassion daily, coming out to the floor and covering staff for bathroom breaks and making time for staff in ways that build trust. We know our voices will be heard and that we will get an answer that is consistent and accurate, no matter what Dani is in the middle of, they always find the time to make sure staff's needs are met and questions are answered. Dani shows up this way for the patients, too, treating them as individuals worthy of participating in their own care. An example of this is when IPU had a patient who was coming out of catatonia and was really paranoid. Dani made sure to give them options and truths that made her feel safe and like she could trust Dani. That was really important in building an environment that the patient could understand. Dani is an excellent nurse!