National Nurses Week / May 6-12
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NATIONAL
Nurses Week
MAY 6 -12
Celebrating Our Nurses 2018 A nurse is a compassionate lifeline, an irreplaceable caregiver, touching both patient and family members. To honor these heroes, we set aside the week of May 6-12 every year to acknowledge and thank them during National Nurses Week.
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National Nurses Week / May 6-12
Wonder, Skill and Bubbles In pediatric nursing, you wield a different toolkit Without question Karen Mitchell, CHKD’s chief nursing officer, has a stellar resume, but the kids and families she’s cared for over the years have their own ideas about what makes an exceptional nurse. Helping usher a critically ill child’s beloved pet pig in the back door and up a back elevator places Mitchell firmly in the world of nursing all-stars. When you’re a pediatric nurse, priorities skew toward eliciting joy while out-of-the-box thinking comes with the territory. y
Woman, she was a big hit on Halloween. “Children still look at life as having adventure, they still have so many dreams that they can fulfil,” says Canady, who deliberately dispenses a healthy dose of merriment during each patient visit. Althea Decipulo, an RN with CHKD’s Radiology Sedation Infusion Unit, is a kindred spirit who keeps her locker filled with games and props like cowboy hats. “I love a child’s attitude toward life, their perspective,” she says. “You can’t not pers be happy around them. So we blow bubbles, we sing songs. Those are not bub things you’re doing in the adult world. thin Pediatric nursing is a chance to be Ped goofy, and I’m just a big kid at heart.” go
Decipulo helps sedate kids who D aren’t developmentally ready to ar remain perfectly still for an MRI, re CT or other imaging test. “The kids C ccome in super scared,” she says. ““From the time the doors open, you The nt. tie pa ing om ccan see the fear in their face. They es for an inc th an Decipulo prepar ildren’s fears wi CHKD’s Althea ster at easing ch ma a o. me tw co or ddon’t know me, they don’t know be rty s en a dance pa popular RN ha es, songs and ev assortment of jok what’s going to happen. So I just get to ttheir level, I’m the one who wants to That’s not to say that nursing have a dance party or start joking.” fundamentals are ever waived – they’re For all the high tech instrumentation she just delivered with a large dose of laughter works with, Decipulo makes it a point to and an extra helping of TLC whenever practice high touch medicine. “Children possible. can’t always use their words as much “Yes, in pediatrics it’s our job to come in every day and make some child’s life better, but at the same time we get to play with them and enjoy them,” shares Jasmine Canady, an LPN with Chesapeake Pediatrics.
as an adult can, so encouragement and handholding helps build trust, and you can just see their sense of relief,” she says. “I’ve had families that didn’t want to leave me afterwards and that always makes me feel good.”
Canady makes regular costumed appearances throughout the year to the delight of her young patients. On St. Patrick’s Day, she sported lime green scrubs and leprechaun ears; for Easter, Canady hopped about on bunny feet; as Wonder
It may not be a tangible nursing skill that can be quantified, but pediatrics by default requires a certain flair. Even more important is a high level of compassion, says Mitchell. “I can teach you how to give chemotherapy, I can teach you how to start
an IV, I can teach you all these skills, but I can’t teach you to love to work with kids,” she says. Mitchell prizes nurses who can readily translate compassion into action. “We had a little kid who was about four and he had trouble walking,” recalls Mitchell. “So the nurses saved bubble wrap out of supply packages because he loved the loud noises popping those bubbles make.” The nurses lined a hallway with the plastic wrap and the little boy gleefully stomped his way down the bubbly path. “That’s how they could get him to walk, bribery with bubble wrap,” says Mitchell. “Sometimes it’s the simplest things.” Ana Mananquil, a nurse manager on a medical-surgical floor at CHKD, sees that action-oriented compassion on display every day. “We work as much to bring the magic into the job as if you were at Disneyland,” she explains.
she notes – sit patiently while a young girl applied nail polish to his fingernails. “Things like that are really unique to what you see in pediatrics,” Mananquil says. Underlying all the fun and frivolity, there’s a bedrock of serious nursing taking place. In fact, many of CHKD’s nurses are engaged in cutting-edge clinical research and have patients actively enrolled in clinical trials for new medications and procedures. “One of our shared governance councils is focused on quality research and evidencebased practice,” says Mitchell. “My nurses do platform presentations at national meetings, they serve on expert panels and they are working See Wonder, PAGE 5
“I was leaving one day and noticed a patient playing Uno with one of the nurses out at the front desk. As I walked a little further, a nurse was holding a baby while she typed notes at the end of her shift. We have nurses who position swings right by the doorways so little kids can swing in and out and take a peek at what’s going on outside of their rooms. “When one of our kids is healthy enough to go home, it’s almost like a little victory parade because as they exit the floor they’re going to be riding in a wagon followed by a slew of get well balloons they collected during their stay. Every staff member on the floor will wave goodbye to them – we’re so happy that they’re better.” Mananquil watched one of her nurses – “A big burly guy who used to play football at ODU,”
For Jasmine Cana
dy, an LPN with Chesapeake Pe diatrics, playing with a baby is pa rt of ever y exam .
Thank You Nurses!
National Nurses Week / May 6-12
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Dianna Barnes, RN, BSN
Bon Secours Harbour View Emergency Department Officially, Dianna Barnes has been a nurse since 1973. Unofficially she’s been nursing since she could walk. “My mom said I was always doing something to help someone,” says Barnes. “If a brother or sister got sick around the house, I was the one who pampered them. And I would go and do things for older neighbors, clean their bathrooms, run errands for them, go to the store for bread and milk. So that’s just been a calling on my life to care for people; that’s where I started my nursing career I believe.” As a newly-minted LPN, Barnes took a job on a medical-surgical floor of the old Portsmouth General Hospital, transferred to the OR, then reluctantly allowed herself to be talked into intensive care. “I said that’s where the sickest patients are, I don’t think I’m ready for that,” recalls Barnes. “They kept saying yes you are. Well, I loved it,” says Barnes. “You have to be a critical thinker, but you get to tuck your patients in and fluff them up, you get to learn their families.”
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“My mom said I was always doing something to help someone” After going back to school to become an RN, Barnes moved into management. “But that ended up being wrong for me,” Barnes says. “I’m a touchy-feely kind of person, I want to be at that bedside.” Opting for patients over paperwork, Barnes moved back into staffing. “My boss said most people can’t do that. Well I did it.” Her patients and their families applauded her move, often requesting Barnes by name. While giving a deposition, Barnes even had an attorney tell her she’s the
National Nurses Week / May 6-12
2018 Winner nurse he’d want assigned to any of his family members. Now with Bon Secours Harbour View, Barnes is particularly concerned with patient education. “I’m a teacher at heart,” she shares. “I get older patients who are diabetic or maybe they have high blood pressure and they tell me, ‘I’m not taking those pills,’ so I do an illustration with my own body. I’ll stand up and drag a leg or an arm and say this is me not taking my pills.” That visual usually gets their attention, she says. When Barnes isn’t lavishing care on patients, she’s nursing friends and family members, providing meals to the hungry, taking in people in need of shelter, volunteering at her church, even giving away cars. Her biggest goal right now is to shed a few more pounds. “My husband needs a kidney, he’s on dialysis,” says Barnes. “I’m trying to lose enough weight to get tested to see if I can be a donor for him.” So, with the characteristic enthusiasm for anything she does, Barnes hits the gym seven days a week. “I’ve found that’s my quiet time, it’s my ‘me’ time.” In a few years when she retires from active nursing, Barnes intends to work as a patient advocate for dialysis patients. “I’ve already got my next job lined up,” she laughs. “The information these patients get can be overwhelming. Sometimes they don’t have a clue. And I’m going to get paid in love and smiles, that’s going to be my payment.” Until then, she’ll continue to be the Bon Secours nurse everyone wants taking care of them.
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Wonder, Skill and Bubbles In pediatric nursing, you wield a different toolkit Continue from page 2
really hard to make improvements and share that knowledge. I have nurses earning their master’s degrees and many have achieved certification in their subspecialty. And that level of expertise along with the exposure they are getting at the national level through the work they are doing has really been phenomenal.” Yet the essence of pediatric nursing always comes back to that personal touch. For instance, most nurses learn to read body language as well as vital signs, but in pediatrics that level of awareness is critical, says NICU nurse Jackie Goode, one of CHKD’s tiny people keepers. “Children can’t always express what’s going on and how they feel, so you have to watch their expressions, their bodies,” she says. “Even when they are
small, they still have personalities. You just have to be able to pick it up.” Goode is able to tune into that magical frequency of childhood with a deftness that points to her 41 years of nursing sick children. And the families of her young patients take notice. “They don’t forget you,” says Goode. “I was in Sears the other day and this gentleman said, ‘Excuse me, you work at CHKD. You were my baby’s nurse 11 years ago.’ I don’t care how many years out, if they don’t remember your name, they remember your face.” She receives regular visits from proud parents showing off the progress of their now-flourishing children and even invitations to high school graduations. “You forge a bond with these children and their families,” she says, “and it does your heart good.”
Kids love our nurses and we do, too. At CHKD, our nurses know how to make kids feel better. Whether it’s holding a hand during a procedure, giving medicine, or simply providing a bit of fun distraction. We thank our nurses for providing exceptional, compassionate care to our region’s babies, children, and teens every day.
CHKD.org/Nursing
Mananquil agrees that the rewards of nursing children are hard to top. “When I walk in to suction a baby, it’s not always easy when you know there are going to be tears, but the comfort is knowing they are going to get better and that they are going to smile after all the tears go away. It pulls on your heartstrings. “The nurses I work with are incredibly intelligent, kindhearted, funny people and they find their niche over here in pediatrics because somehow we filled in the lyrics to whatever songs they were singing.” As a job description, it’s a bit unorthodox, but in the world of pediatrics, it’s note perfect.
RN Jackie Good e sets up develo pmental assessme Once babies are nt materials. released from CH KD’s neonatal inte unit, nurses contin ue to offer handsnsive care on care and sup milestone evalua port, including tions every six mo nths through age three.
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National Nurses Week / May 6-12
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National Nurses Week / May 6-12
Hannah Gerloff Riley, RN, CPHON CHKD Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Chesapeake native Hannah Gerloff Riley grew up watching the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, which raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. “Seeing those little sick kids on TV made me want to take care of them,” says Riley. “And lo and behold, here I am, a nurse taking care of kids.” She chose to focus on pediatric oncology, an area many nurses consider especially challenging, but Riley moves through her day undaunted, dispensing skill, love, laughter and a goodly dose of courage. As a two-time cancer survivor herself, it’s a nursing specialty she understands well. After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Nursing, Riley worked at children’s hospitals in Washington D.C. and San Diego before a brain tumor brought her home to be near family. “I’m a family oriented person,” she says. “They mean everything to me.” When her high school sweetheart learned Riley was home, he contacted her one evening. “I had saved our prom pictures and stuff he had given me, and he saved stuff from me too,” says Riley. “I think both our moms had always known that we would be together.” The moms were right – the couple is now happily married. After beating the brain tumor, Riley resumed her nursing career, this time at CHKD. “I volunteered at CHKD during high school and always wanted to end up working there,” she says. While caring for kids at CHKD’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Riley successfully fought a second battle with cancer, giving her an insider’s knowledge of what her young patients experience.
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“I’m a family oriented person,” she says. “They mean everything to me.”
“When I was undergoing treatment, I couldn’t eat or drink a lot,” Riley recalls. “And I’m a nurse – I know I need to do this, yet it’s nearly impossible. It made me think about the times I would urge my patients to eat or drink. I decided I’m going to have to change the way I help these kids.” Occasionally she’ll share her story with patients. “But not often because it’s about them and not about me,” says Riley. “If it’s an older teen and they’re having a tough time I might talk about it, or maybe I can tell the parents of younger kids how the radiation feels, but the focus should be on them.” Riley is a whatever-it-takes kind of nurse who is often by her patients’ bedsides after her shift ends or on days off. Her compassion is innate and the bonds she forms with her kids and their families allow her to draw them into a positive place, even on difficult days. “To know that I have made a child and their family smile and that they are happy and comfortable, at least for that day, you can’t top that,” says Riley. “To have a little kid who is so sick run into your arms and laugh, it’s just the best feeling. I can tell you that at least once or twice a day we look at each other and say, that’s why we came to work today.”
2018 Winner
National Nurses Week / May 6-12
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Honorable Mentions: Megan Rainey Sentara Obici Hospital ED
a payer source for medications, lack of a telephone, and for some even a
“Megan is one of the most compassionate nurses I know. She is a huge advocate for her patients and takes the time to ensure they are comfortable and well taken care of during their ED stay. One of the most powerful examples of this is when she was caring for a patient with special needs. This patient was very apprehensive about her ED visit, but Megan took the time to sit down and explain things in a way she could understand. When further testing was ordered, the patient began to get a little anxious about having to go to another department. Megan didn’t hesitate; she hopped right up on the stretcher and held the patient’s hand throughout the entire test. This is just one example of how truly amazing Megan is. She treats all of her patients like family and is the epitome of an extraordinary nurse.”
lack of safe shelter. Carol’s expertise in matching these patient’s needs to resources is exceptional. Where resources are not available, she often helps personally. Her compassion and stamina in doing this day after day is exceptional. She is an outstanding nurse!”
We appreciate our dedicated Nursing Team and want to thank them for their commitment and hard work. Consider joining this team at www.vbpcweb.com
Reggie Ramirez Sentara Princess Anne Hospital “Reggie embodies the qualities and spirit of this year Nurses Week theme. He inspires others to do their best by his can-do attitude, professionalism, kindness and caring attitude. He was last year’s recipient
Carol Hodies
of the Daisy award. He innovates and influences how we deliver our care
Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
every day. Knowing that there is a great need for an excellent IV nurse,
“Carol’s job is to resolve barriers to care faced by cancer patients. Many of her patients are without resources such as insurance and transportation. Carol works relentlessly to manage the obstacles these patients face during their cancer treatments. These obstacles include but are not limited to lack of a support system, lack of transportation, lack of
Reggie stepped up to the challenge and learned how to insert ultrasound guided IV and midline catheters. He did research and found evidencebased practices to improve his skills. He is a great nurse, mentor and wingman to everybody. He is truly deserving of this recognition.”
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We’re glad you’re on
Our Team Bon Secours is grateful for the nurses who answer the call to care, every day. During National Nurses Week, we celebrate your compassion and skill, and offer our most sincere gratitude for the healing and comfort you provide.
bonsecours.com DePaul Medical Center | Maryview Medical Center | Mary Immaculate Hospital Health Center at Harbour View | Bon Secours Medical Group
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Melissa Lynch, RN, BSN
Sentara Princess Anne Emergency Department It’s not a job for the faint of heart, but when Melissa Lynch dons her nursing scrubs and walks through the doors of Sentara Princess Anne’s Emergency Department, she takes the controlled chaos in stride. After all, she once seriously considered a career as a zookeeper. “I finished a biology degree at ODU and despite all my volunteer experience at the Virginia Zoo and the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, I found it really difficult to find zookeeping jobs, even unpaid internships in other states,” says Lynch. “After some soul searching, I realized it was more of a hobby than a long-term career goal. So I decided, well, let’s give nursing a try.” The new field of study was a perfect fit, and the ER turned out to be her natural habitat. “I like being up and moving around, and this is fast-paced for sure,” Lynch explains. “We have to pay attention to details, but if a blanket is crooked, we don’t care, we’re more worried about keeping the patient alive.” During the course of a day, Lynch, who is president-elect of the Tidewater chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association, may help stabilize a car accident victim, work on a patient in cardiac arrest, bandage a serious cut, comfort a child with a broken arm or even treat a case of the sniffles. “I’ve seen everything from terrible gunshot wounds that walk through our front door to people coming in using us as a primary care facility,” she says. In the case of the not-so-emergency emergencies, Lynch teams genuine concern with down-to-earth explanations
National Nurses Week / May 6-12
2018 Winner for those frustrated over wait times. “I promise it’s not a neglect thing,” she says. “We’re very, very big on prioritization, we have to be.” So the person going into respiratory failure is definitely going to be seen ahead of a patient with the flu. “I try to explain that waiting is a good thing, it means you’re not dying,” Lynch offers practically. And every one of her patients, regardless of their injury or illness, receives Lynch’s trademark compassion and focused concern. “It took me a lot of time to realize I was more of a people person that I thought I was; I’m more quiet and reserved, but I discovered I really like taking care of people and talking with them,” she says.
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“I like being up and moving around, and this is fast-paced for sure,” Lynch explains.
“Just the other day I was working on an older gentleman and he was only there for a simple case, but when I went to discharge him, he got out of his wheelchair and went out of his way to give me a hug,” says Lynch. “And that’s what I get my satisfaction from.” It’s life in the fast lane, but Lynch never fails to brake for the personal touch. When you deal in life or death situations, making time for the important things isn’t just a detour, it’s the destination, and Lynch is a master navigator.
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Honorable Mentions:
continued...
Jodie Cuttle Sentara Infusion Services “Jodie goes above and beyond seeing extra patients when we are struggling. She is one of my preceptors and takes extra time to ensure the nurse is comfortable with tasks at hand and charting. What makes Jodie stand out is how she is with her patients. She recently had a patient who was dying and the spouse called and said that it looked like he was going to go that day (weekend). Jodie went to her house at 9am; the patient had died and the spouse did not have any family. Jodie stayed until her family from out of town came 6 hours later, comforting this patient. She gives 110 percent to her patients.”
experienced a medical emergency. The summary Mrs. Gilman wrote was crucial to getting the emergency room physician and subsequent consultants up to speed on the patient’s condition and health history. As a nurse of over 49 years, it was heartwarming to see a nursing professional who goes above and beyond the call of duty to promote continuity of care and who shows ‘sincere’ concern for her patients. I am a nurse, who observes other nurses. Ms. Gilman is the best nurse I have observed in years. Mrs. Gilman is the epitome of nursing excellence.”
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NATIONAL NURSES WEEK MAY 6-12, 2018
Shawn Browning Eileen Gilman Endocrinology & Diabetes Center “Mrs. Eileen Gilman, FNP-C, CCRC, is the quintessential professional whose concern for her patients is unparalleled in modern day nursing. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season, after normal working hours, Mrs. Gilman called to follow up on a patient. She ensured the client was alright, understood the importance of continuity of care, and the hierarchy within the healthcare system. Two days earlier Mrs. Gilman had written a comprehensive synopsis of her patient’s endocrine and healthcare history so all providers along continuum of care from primary care manager to consulting physicians were aware of her patient’s health status. Two days after that call the patient
Naval Air Station Oceana Branch Health Clinic “Ms. Browning is a most competent and caring nurse, a true professional. She is admired and highly respected by her fellow employees. She has a special talent for making children feel as comfortable as possible while anticipating and having their inoculations administered. They invariably come out of her office smiling. Nurse Browning takes a personal interest in her patients, making them feel at ease before, during and after receiving their immunizations. In fact, I almost look forward to coming to have her give me my allergy shots. She is not only my favorite nurse, but also the favorite of her fellow civilian and military caregivers in the immunization section.”
‘The Lady with the Lamp’ Transforms Nursing The first National Nurses Week was celebrated in 1954, the year that marked the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s pioneering nursing efforts in the Crimean War. It was a fitting honor for a woman credited with founding the modern practice of nursing.
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wounded for hours on end. Soldiers dubbed her “the lady with the lamp” as she moved about them at night. Nightingale’s efforts reduced the death rate in the hospital by
Born in 1820, the Englishwoman trained as a nurse in Germany before returning home, determined to raise hygiene standards in the hospitals of her day where unsanitary practices were the norm. Her methods made a noticeable difference and when the Crimean War broke out between Britain and Russia in the mid1800s, Nightingale was tasked with training a nurse corps to care for wounded soldiers.
two-thirds, and her 830-page report to the British government triggered a comprehensive reform of medical practices. Granted a $250,000 prize by a grateful Queen Victoria, Nightingale used the money to build a hospital and the Nightingale Training School for Nurses. She successfully
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Nightingale and her nurses arrived in Crimea in 1854 to find appalling conditions – patients lying in excrement, rats roaming at will, bandages scarce and soap in low supply.
at age 90 in 1910.
After rounding up scrub brushes, setting up a laundry and establishing healthy menus, she set to work caring for the
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