Darlyce Jerde has a passion for helping her patients and her peers find meaning and connection in a place that can seem impersonal, frightening, and lonely. Darlyce routinely goes above and beyond the call of her duty as a nurse. As a member of the unit practice council, she promotes ongoing practice improvement and finds ways to lift up her peers so everyone can see their warmth and excellence. She creates bulletin boards in the hallways that humanize us by showcasing our families or our pets. On another bulletin board, she welcomes our new nurses and celebrates their accomplishments. When caregivers seem tired she massages their hands with peppermint lotion or practices healing touch.
Darlyce's patients thrive under her care. As an experienced clinician, she is vigilant and proactive, preventing complications and always working toward attainable, personalized patient goals. If a patient is frail and immobilized, she does absolutely everything possible to prevent pressure ulcers, falls, pain, confusion, or infections. If a patient is a homeless alcoholic she will protect his dignity and help him feel that he is worth caring for, knowing that this sense of self-worth is the core of healing.
Perhaps the epitome of Darlyce's caring is her Christmas tradition of giving a gift to every patient hospitalized over the holidays. She collects gifts all year long, thoughtful things like holiday-themed fleece blankets to make the hospital room look festive, vanity kits for the ladies with handmade lotions, crafts, small games, and puzzles, or warm nonskid socks. She has done this every year for the past 13 years. This year I had the pleasure of witnessing the tradition. Darlyce dressed up in a festive outfit and brought two of her grandchildren to help her pass out the gifts, which were carefully wrapped in cheerful gift bags. At each room, she asked if it would be alright to bring in a gift and if children would be welcome in the room. Every single patient on our full unit said yes. Her grandkids, ages six and 4, carefully gelled their hands at the door and then delivered their gift of holiday cheer. The patients were mostly older folks who were clearly delighted to be visited by clean and well-behaved children and to be remembered with such thoughtful gifts. The next day I saw colorful blankets on beds and heard happy reports of Christmas cheer from patients and their loved ones.
Note: This is Darlyce's2nd DAISY Award!