"Please thank everyone on your unit; the care I received here was wonderful and you all worked so well together. Everyone was great."
This is something we hear from our patients and their families on a daily basis. The 8 North Team works great together and provides excellent patient care, not just in one particular situation but all year round. Even with all the new staff we have developed this past year, everyone is fitting in, making friends, and feeling comfortable with the team they work with.
8 North recently had a patient nominate our unit for a DAISY Team Award. He was a patient of ours last October and he wrote, "There wasn't a specific situation. Every single nurse and nurse assistant was wonderful, caring, and friendly. They all went above and beyond to make sure all my needs were taken care of and that I was kept in the loop."
Last fall, we took care of a patient, J, a long term patient awaiting placement as he was not fit to live on his own. J was a people person. He loved to chat and wander the halls. Every staff member on 8 North was able to get to know J, his preferences, likes/dislikes, and habits. Because he was here for over three months, he definitely started to make himself at home. Nurses began to decorate his room with fall and holiday decor. He loved word searches and had an endless supply because our staff was able to bring him lots of books and puzzles. J was a big guy and was constantly hungry wanting snacks and drinks. Multiple trips a day were made down to the cafeteria, Outtakes, and vending machines to obtain snacks with J, including walks outside. Staff even brought his favorite snacks and drinks in as a special surprise. He was always so grateful. J had family that came in to visit him but unfortunately, they were unable to provide him care or assistance at home. He was hoping to be able to be discharged prior to Thanksgiving but that did not happen. Our staff was able to coordinate with the physicians and family to arrange for him to go home to his parents for Thanksgiving dinner. He greatly appreciated this and came back to the hospital with a full belly and renewed spirit. J was able to be discharged to an ECF shortly after Thanksgiving. But, our care for him did not stop there. Our staff pulled together some money to send him a care package at his new residence; including an Eagles T-shirt (his favorite football team).
Another example of how supportive and caring our team is relates to a patient A, a young woman with alcoholic cirrhosis who we took care of on two admissions consisting of multiple weeks on 8 North. The first admission we were able to discharge the patient back home with family. The second admission, only a few short weeks later, she was transferred to us from the IICU. This admission was different; A was giving up and wanted to withdraw her own care knowing full well that this would lead to her death. Being a long term patient, almost all the staff cared for A and began to develop a relationship with her. She was young herself, had two young children at home, and a supportive church community. A ultimately decided to pursue hospice care and left our unit for the inpatient hospice unit. After discharge, we had a debriefing with palliative care which allowed the staff to discuss the case and their feelings. The palliative care team was able to keep us updated on her decline and her passing. To show support to a patient and family who truly needed it, several staff members attended A's funeral on their own time.
Overall, 8 North is an extraordinary team not just on one occasion, but all year round with every patient encounter. Not only have we provided the patients noted above with above and beyond care, we were able to arrange a live video feed for a patient who was unable to be present at a family member's wedding, visits with other family members on other floors, taking patients outside who have been hospitalized for extended periods of time, provide snacks to gluten free patients from our own employee snack bar, download familiar music for a young Alzheimer's patient, and the list goes on and on. 8 North is a prime example of a DAISY worthy TEAM! We care for all of our patient's individual needs, see them as people, and take the time to get to know each and every one. Our work is non-stop and we always come together as a team to make it happen!
The 8 North Med/Surg Team:
Mary A Bassalin, MSN, RN, Nurse Manager
Ashley N Anders, RN
Madison T Bayhart, RN
Kathryn E Brackett, BSN, RN
Katie L Brooks, RN
Brooke M Burkholder, RN
Deborah A Candy, RN
Kati J Cooper, BSN, RN
Megan E Driscoll, RN
Kathleen M Finnegan, RN, MSNC
Marcia A Fuhrman, RN
Mary B Grubb, BSN, RN, CMSRN
Robert C Haas, RN
Danielle A Hoffman, RN
Melissa D McNaughton, BSN, RN, RN-BC
Belinda D Morrison-Hoar, RN
Christine Murray, RN
Mindy J Myers, BSN, RN, MSNC
Dana L Newswanger, BSN, RN
Bristeena Peter, MSN, RN, RN-BC
Elizabeth M Pflumm, RN
Kirsten B Sensenig, RN
Ariel A Shaffer, BSN, RN, RN-BC
Amanda C Shea-Miller, RN
Sonya J Snyder, RN
Heather J Taylor, RN
Paula L Trump, RN
Patricia A Urbaniak, RN
Louden R Valotta, RN
Ashley N Warner,RN
Jessica L Weise, BSN, RN
And these UCs and PTCAs: Patricia Banzhof,Vickie Houseal, Alexsandra Williams, Sarah Brinkman, Merry Daniels, Jeandalee Diaz Marin, Megan Grimsey, Robert Groff, Zach Hill, Payton Littler, Jerlly Oliveras,Natacha Rodriguez, Kelly Rodriguez Plaza, Cierra Salapeh,Yahaira Torres, Lakeisha Turner