I am writing to nominate Angela McMillion, BSN, RN for the Daisy Lifetime Achievement Award. Angela obtained her Associate’s degree in nursing from the Mercy School of Nursing in 1999. Upon graduation she accepted a role as a new graduate nurse on 3 Tower at Carolinas Medical Center. Even as a new graduate nurse, Angela was taking on the role of leader, charge nurse and patient advocate. Angela worked alongside Dr. Rissmiller and other physicians to ensure that patients received excellent care and had positive outcomes. Throughout her years at CMC, Angela worked in the ICU, PCU and Radiology. In 2011 she obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Angela views nursing as a calling and an opportunity to help those in need. She believes that nurses have a duty to take care of the whole patient. Angela has consistently carried this throughout her nursing career.

I first met Angela when she became an Endoscopy Float nurse in January 2017. Upon meeting Angela, I immediately knew that she was an integral part of the Endoscopy team. Angela is an extremely friendly person; she always has the best intentions and a contagious smile. She is respected by her peers for not being a complainer or faultfinder and for being a hard worker. Many are in awe of her amazing work ethic. One physician spoke to me about Angela, stating, “they don’t make them like that anymore,” commenting on her resourcefulness and tenacity to go the extra mile for outstanding care. Luckily, Angela is not stingy with her knowledge and is always willing to share what she has learned with others. Angela is engaged with patients and diligently works to meet the demands of the job and high patient turnover. In the float nurse role, Angela works throughout the Metro Endoscopy facilities, consisting of four hospital locations, five ambulatory facilities and two different EMR systems. The field of Endoscopy is very specific, technical, and rapidly changing. Angela consistently adapts to the needs of the department, modifications in staffing models, and assists colleagues as needed. Angela is a fast learner and acts as a resource to all teammates. She consistently receives accolades from every facility that she works. The staff are always excited when she is assigned to their location.

As Angela’s direct nurse manager for the past six years, I have had the pleasure of watching her as she carries out patient care. Angela embodies the core values of caring, commitment, integrity, and teamwork with each patient that she cares for. The first example of Angela’s amazing care was when a gentleman came in for a colonoscopy. Angela established a relationship with him as she was admitting him for his procedure. As she went through the pre-procedure questions, she noticed that something wasn’t quite right with his emotional well-being. Angela has a patient-centred, direct approach with all of her patients, and because of this, he opened up to Angela and told her about his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. Angela immediately picked up on the emotional struggle that he was going through and she took the time to listen, reassure, and develop a plan of safety with him. When this patient was discharged from recovery, he was tearful as he expressed his gratitude for how kind Angela had been to him, even saying that Angela had given him hope that he would be okay. The time and care that Angela showed this patient stand as an example of excellent nursing care. She always takes the time to address her patients’ physical and emotional needs, no matter how busy the shift may be.

Another example of Angela’s high level of advocacy for her patients occurred when Angela was caring for a gentleman who came in for a screening colonoscopy. The patient expressed to Angela that he had a history of acid reflux during his admission. Instead of marking that for his medical history and moving on to the next question, Angela took the time to further investigate. She discovered that the patient had reflux symptoms for many years, but never had his reflux evaluated with an EGD procedure. Angela brought this to the attention of the endoscopist and really pushed for the patient to have an EGD in addition to his colonoscopy. Due to Angela’s strong advocacy for this patient, he had an EGD that day. When the biopsy results from the EGD came back, it was discovered that the patient had adenocarcinoma and would need treatment to prolong his life. The endoscopist apologized to Angela for being reluctant to do the procedure and stated that “Angela’s persistence for this patient saved his life.”

A third example is when a patient was supposed to have an EGD with banding for varices. Angela noticed that the patient’s abdomen was extremely large and hard. The patient was very uncomfortable lying on the stretcher. It was evident to Angela that this patient needed immediate attention. Angela quickly involved the anesthesiologist to assess the patient. The physician agreed that the patient needed a paracentesis, and the procedure would need to be delayed. The patient’s wife stated that they had called and were struggling to get a paracentesis appointment prior to the patient’s endoscopy. Angela called the supervisor for an Ultrasound to check their availability and explain the patient’s situation. She then obtained an order for a paracentesis from the Hepatologist. Next, she called Radiology Scheduling and was able to take the patient over for a procedure in which 6L was drained from his abdomen. He was then able to come back to Endoscopy to have his procedure the same day. The patient and his wife were so thankful for the care Angela provided. The patient’s wife stated that what Angela had completed in 20 minutes had taken her weeks, with no response and no appointment.

There are so many more examples of Angela’s advocacy for patients. When a patient’s procedure is cancelled, Angela sits with the patient and educates them on the reason for the cancellation and how to prevent it in the future. Angela lives out our purpose, “from discovery to everyday moments, we’re redefining care for you, for us, for all,” through her unwavering commitment to patient advocacy. Angela is the epitome of our Advocate Health commitments. She consistently lifts everyone up through the amazing care that she provides. She creates a space where all belong. She builds trust with patients, which in turn builds trust in our health care system. Angela leads the way by not being afraid to challenge the status quo. It is rare that Angela takes no for an answer. She is like a detective and is always working to get to the root cause of the issue. Angela thinks boldly and collaborates with others to create the most positive outcomes for our patients. Angela also embraces the unknown. She has a fearless curiosity and is not afraid to ask the hard question of why. She has an unshakeable optimism that spills over to leadership and her colleagues.
I cannot tell you enough just how valuable Angela is to our patients and to our team, but I hope these stories shine a light on that. Angela is a fierce patient advocate and sees no barriers or boundaries when it comes to helping her patients. As if her patient advocacy wasn’t enough, she is also a stellar teammate. Her colleagues say that she makes any shift better; her teamwork-centred approach is only outdone by her vast nursing knowledge. To work with her is to know what strong, patient-centred nursing care truly is.