Throughout Amy’s career, she has been invested in the Emergency Department, Forensics, and Nursing Supervision. We are now lucky enough to have her as our day shift weekend Nursing Supervisor. There are countless times where Amy has gone above and beyond to help the staff and patients in the BMH ED, and for this, she more than deserves recognition.

On one particularly interesting day, a patient arrived via EMS to our department. The staff were informed of the patient’s poor living conditions and inability to provide care for themselves. When assessing the patient, the primary nurse discovered a particularly shiver-inducing insect. While some staff were hesitant to enter the patient’s room after the discovery, Amy did not hesitate for a single moment. She immediately threw on PPE and assisted me in providing a thorough cleaning of the patient and their belongings.

No other crawling friends were found, and the patient was incredibly grateful for the kindness and extra time spent in their room. While this is just one of the many interactions Amy has had with patients, this moment of compassion and understanding drastically improved their experience, making them feel as though they deserved the same care anyone else would and should receive.

This past Sunday, Amy again went above and beyond. The Emergency Department was overflowing. The new Physician in Triage (PIT) process has been challenging for staff, as any major change typically is. On this particular day, the waiting room was full, the PIT nurse and triage teams were constantly moving patients, and the rooms were filled with some of the most critical patients I have seen in quite some time.

Every time I turned around, Amy was right there with the nursing staff, assisting wherever she could. One patient was decompensating very quickly. Without time to call Amy for backup, her “nurse senses” sent her our way. She immediately began assisting the primary nurse with interventions and assessments.

Just a couple of hours later, a three-year-old presented to triage—listless and cold. I’m not sure where Amy appeared from; all I know is that she was right there with us. Her experience and knowledge proved invaluable in this very stressful situation. Amy stayed with the primary nurse the entire time, obtaining labs, performing assessments, accompanying the child to CT scans, and ensuring every necessary intervention was completed. Every step of the way, Amy was there, ready to help wherever she could.

While these are just two of many examples, I am eternally grateful to have such support from our WEO Day Supervisor as we continue to see rises in both volume and acuity. With the growing public demand for care in the BMH ED, it’s easy for the staff to become overwhelmed. But there is always a sense of relief when I see Amy during high-stress moments. I know she will be there to help both staff and patients whenever we need an extra set of hands.

Her accountability, knowledge, experience, and compassion are deeply appreciated. Supervision is not necessarily a simple “office” position—there are many overlapping facets that go into the role of Nursing Supervisor. From calls for IV insertions to assisting with the most critical patients, supervision is far more than “directing traffic.”

Amy is always going above and beyond for the staff and patients of Bedford Memorial.

We love and appreciate her so much!