A DAISY AWARD WINNING NURSE WHO CARES
SPECIALTY CERTIFICATIONS
CPAN - Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse &
CAPA - Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse by The American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing
PCCN - Progressive Care certified Nurse by the American Association of Critical Care nurses (AACN)
Chemotherapy & Biotherapy - Oncology Nursing Society
Professional Memberships in both ASPAN and AACN
BELOW IS MY DAISY SPOTLIGHT:
I had meniscus repair surgery on my right knee recently. I woke up in the PACU with intense and debilitating pain; a degree of pain that I was not expecting or prepared for. There were no words, only tears with uncontrollable crying and moaning. I can only describe my response to the pain as primal. Luckily for me, my PACU nurse didn't need words. I was communicating with her in a language that she knew intimately. Thankfully Gifty, my PACU nurse, knew exactly what she needed to do and she did it without hesitation. When dose after dose of medication failed to reduce my pain, she knew that I was only a few brief minutes away from reaching my breaking point. Knowing that I needed something more than she herself could provide, she reached out to one of the providers and insisted that he come to my bedside. Once there, the provider witnessed my level of distress and ordered medication at a dose that Gifty was not permitted to administer. She told the provider that he would have to administer it and asked that he do so immediately. It was that dose that broke the cycle of pain I was trapped in. Because of my nurse's dedication to my care and her knowledge base, she was not only able to identify my needs, but she quickly determined how she could best provide for them, and she did so to ensure that I could achieve the best possible outcome. In remembering that experience, my thoughts are not focused on how much pain I was in but rather on how my devoted PACU nurse cared for me when I could not. When I was unable to advocate for myself, my nurse did so for me. I believe that people are placed in our paths for a reason, and that day, Gifty was, well she was a gift to me.
I am a proud recipient of the coveted Daisy Award! This is not my first nomination. I was nominated along with a colleague over a decade ago. I mention this to show that I have been consistent in my care in over 15 years of working in Maryland and I consistently advocate for my patients and do right by them each and every time.
I am Doubly-certified in Both areas of Perianesthesia and hold certifications in other nursing specialties.
I also have the expertise and experience working at major Academic medical centers and teaching hospitals. And if I don't know what to do, I know who to call and educate myself continually. I have current copies of the Perianesthesia nursing Core Curriculum book and the Perianesthesia nursing critical-care approach book.
I know the care to provide for various procedures.
A little background on the Daisy Award: The Daisy is an award that 4,500 healthcare facilities in all 50 states and 28 other countries use to recognize nurses who have exhibited extraordinary, compassionate care to their patients. You can look me up at the Daisy Foundation website for June 2023.
My Concierge Nursing Story
I graduated summa cum laude from Drexel University. Also earning an award as the top student in my class. In 2006, I worked at the Fountains at Logan Square East, currently known as the Watermark, with residents in the Independent Living section. I would be the person called when someone had an emergency. I would see some people weekly to do pillboxes. I would go to assess people in various ways, provide clinical help when they are not feeling well, triage them to the ER and call the ER to give them a headsup as well as provide a background on the person. I did this and many more. Years later, I wanted to replicate that in the community setting. To provide a concerge kind of care of people who didn't have to pay a million dollar deposit to live at a place like the Fountains. Over the years I have worked gradually at making this happen. I also worked at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's Oncology unit and Thomas Jefferson's Cardiology unit while in Pennsylvania.
I have worked in Maryland for over 15 years. In that time, I have worked for 3 health systems in various units including working as a float nurse for various units including the world renowned R.A Cowley Shock Trauma Center. For 9 years, I floated by working on different units which allowed me to amass a wealth of knowledge and Experience.
I am the person my colleague call for help when they are stumped with something new. I am the person people call the nursing office to find out where I'm working so they could ask me to come help with something when I worked at University of Maryland Medical Systems. I've been at my current health system for over a decade. I have worked with orthopedic, gynecological, Gastroentrological, medical, surgical, mother/baby, emergency rooms, various recovery rooms from cardiac, otrthopedic, GI, General, IR and many more.
EXPERTISE
I pride myself in knowledge and competence. I have worked on various units and competent in caring for different populations- Worked with independent population in a high rise facility
- Competence in caring for different populations in the hospital. Floating allowed me to learn a lot in caring for a broad range of people as I worked on different units and different units.
- Worked in Various recovery rooms from Shock Trauma's PACU to various recovery rooms at different hospitals. I have also worked in the GI/Endoscopy prep and recovery.
- I have worked as a Care Manager for a Large National Insurance company. Field Assessor for different long-term care insurance companies so I'm familiar with not just the forms but how the assessment process goes. There were times I'd be the second or third nurse showing up because the insurance company had denied the claim the previous times. I can be by your side to avoid this headache. Whether it's talking care of people after breast surgery, urological issues, knee or hip surgery, a GYN surgery, dental surgery, various places, I have gained a whole lot of experience helping patients and their families over the years and I am ready to advocate for you also.
MY CORE VALUES
Honesty: I belive in being honestly and truthful in my dealings with others.
Compassion: I belive in caring with compassion. It is something I value as a person and as a Christian. I believe in treating the sick mind as I would a sick body - with the same, if not more, compassion. I do not judge or treat someone differently because of their psychological state of mind. I belive in understanding and working with them in a way where they feel valued, understood and cared for.
Intergrity: I act with intergrity and consistency. This is a value that permeates all I do. Just like honesty.
Discretion: Sometimes, I think this is the better of a lot of things, including care. Not everyone needs to know what's going on with me and I extend that to you. I respect your privacy.
