November 2023
Gracie
Juarez
,
RN
Behavioral Healthcare
Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital
Dixon
,
IL
United States
When she found out that music was therapeutic for him, Gracie would sit with him every night while he listened to music until he felt relaxed and safe enough to fall asleep.
Gracie came to KSB as a new nurse who was shy and insecure about her ability to care for patients when she first started. However, I have had the privilege and honor of watching her grow into an amazing nurse who goes above and beyond for her patients and is a caring, compassionate, competent, and confident nurse. Gracie advocates for her patients and is always striving to provide them with the best care possible. Often, our patients struggle with advocating for themselves or communicating their needs, and Gracie is there every step of the way to help them get the care they need and deserve. When we had a patient who presented to our unit who was a young college student who had moved to the United States and had begun experiencing hallucinations and delusions that made it hard for him to function in his daily life, Gracie went above and beyond to ensure that he was taken care of. This patient had never experienced any mental health issues previously, spoke English as a second language, and grew up in another county with different cultural practices. He was scared and vulnerable, and Gracie helped to make sure he felt safe and cared for. Gracie would spend hours sitting with this patient to help build rapport and determine how we could best care for him. When she found out that music was therapeutic for him, Gracie would sit with him every night while he listened to music until he felt relaxed and safe enough to fall asleep. This is not the first time Gracie has provided excellent care for our patients. Gracie does things like this every time she works. She often brings in snacks or treats for all the patients on the unit and does movie nights with them on weekends to help them feel more comfortable on the unit. Because of the care she provides, patients feel safer and more cared for and are willing to open up more to the staff and in groups, which helps improve outcomes and ensures our patients are leaving KSB with not only a good experience but a great one. I am proud of the nurse I have seen Gracie blossom into, and I cannot wait to continue to see her grow and provide outstanding care to our patients.