As a Board-Certified Chaplain of the Association of Professional Chaplains and a Clinical Member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, I have been fortunate to be in the company of many professional nurses over the years. Amanda Duff has been the most outstanding nurse I have encountered during the past year and a half that my granddaughter has been ill.
I worked at Hackensack University Medical Center for nine years in Pastoral Care and loved working with all the staff members within the hospital. As a result, I have studied and appreciate all the requirements and hard work that are involved in nursing. When my granddaughter was airlifted to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for potential surgery on her colon, all of my professional training was challenged, and I simply felt deep concern as any grandmother feels. After watching the staff working with her for over twenty days, I truly respected 5 South and the entire staff working there, but one nurse, Amanda Duff, stood out for her exceptional skills and behavior. She exemplified outstanding nursing skills in several ways: High standards of professionalism, exceptional communication skills, never ending diligence, action oriented, paid attention to details, compassionate and attentive, diligence.
One example of Amanda's deserving recognition took place on a day when my granddaughter was very upset; not wanting to cooperate and feeling extremely frustrated. Prior to her illness, she was an athlete and always took pride in her endurance and ability to handle things, but on this day, she had reached her limit and was very angry. When Amanda came in to the room, she clearly picked up on the situation and in addition to all her nursing requirements, she clearly paid attention to details and was action-oriented while being particularly attentive and compassionate. Amanda assessed the situation and knew it was important for her to express her feelings without judgement or taking it personally. She listened to what she had to say, was calm and caring, and was able to motivate her to get up and move around.
As a result, Amanda gained her trust and calmed her down and brought some peace into the room. My daughter was very touched by the fact that Amanda was so supportive. She agreed that whenever Amanda came into the room, she explained everything and was able to calm her down. She was attentive and compassionate, without judgement and surprised all of us when she stopped by to check in during her time off. Amanda provided a sense of commitment and diligence that was so reassuring for all our family. We agreed that she should be recognized for her outstanding empathy and caring and hope that she will be recognized for her wonderful nursing and communication skills.