When I think of what an ideal nurse should be, I think of someone who is able to provide exceptional care while also showing compassion, genuine concern, and sympathy to everyone they encounter. Dana exhibits all of these characteristics and so much more.
Whether you call it dependability, reliability, or something else entirely, you will not find someone who is there for patients and coworkers the way Dana is. She not only shows up for work every single day like clockwork, but her performance never suffers from personal feelings or physical ailments. She's the same person day in and day out and provides consistently superior care for patients and unwavering leadership for staff.
Quality of care is obviously an integral part of nursing. Dana leaves no box unchecked. If she doesn't have the answer, she finds it. She makes sure that patients receive the care they need no matter what challenges may appear to stand in the way. There are no shortcuts taken by her and she doesn't accept shortcuts from anyone else either. You find out very soon after working with her that if patient care isn't your number one priority, then you better change your priorities because she accepts nothing less. Charting, memos, written and oral communication to doctors and staff are all areas in which she particularly excels. Attention to detail is obvious and the fact that you can tell how much someone prioritizes patients by the way they complete documentation is unusual but nevertheless very evident. She leaves no stone unturned when completing necessary communications for patient care and leaves nothing to the imagination. Not only doctors and management, but family members quickly realize that there is someone there that prioritizes their family members just as much as they do.
The true measure of a nurse (or any person for that matter) isn't the quality of workmanship, or the attention to detail, or even the friendly façade they put on during their interactions, but rather their character. Without question, this is where Dana sets herself apart. There is no question when you interact with Dana, that her attitude toward her patients is more than a learned behavior to advocate for them. She genuinely has a heart for the patients under her care and accepts it as a personal responsibility to stand up for them, not just a professional one. There is but one way for her to provide care for her patients and that's the right way. Whatever the right way may be for any given situation, she will find it. She doesn't allow other factors to cloud her judgment about what is in the best interest of her patients and she accepts nothing less from other staff members either. Honest to a fault and professional at all times and under every circumstance, you always know where she stands and because of this, she is trusted by patients, staff, management, and family alike. Not only the nurse but the person within is truly remarkable.
Dana is an example to other nurses, an advocate for patients, a stand-in for family members, a resource for doctors and support staff, and an exemplary employee for management. No matter how unique of an honor she is given, it will pale in comparison to the unique combination of traits that make up this amazing person that in many ways changes the definition of what a nurse should be.