A registered nurse with the Behavioral Health Team at SSM Health Dean Medical Group West, Janet Bird's role is more than a job - it's her passion. Her teammates testify to her daily commitment to her patients, and three of them nominated her for The DAISY Award.
Bird ultimately received four, separate nominations for the award, including one from a patient who called her "the perfect combination of kindheartedness, compassion, calmness, and skill."
In nominating Bird, the patient wrote: "...She has always been able to bring a calming and supportive presence to the conversation, listen, I mean really listen, and show empathy. She takes as much time as needed, and I have never felt put-off or rushed. She is skilled at evaluating each individual situation and offers meaningful suggestions. She always includes me in the decision-making process and respects my opinion while we develop a plan of action."
Three more award nominations came from providers with whom Bird works. In his nomination, a physician wrote: "Janet has demonstrated extraordinary professionalism and dedication to her patients in the face of a simply enormous workload. Every day she manages extraordinarily complex and daunting patient concerns, including being a lifeline for patients who are at high risk for suicide."
"... Undaunted even in the most severe storm, she has maintained the calm, caring, and unerring attention to detail that has always made her one of the strongest members of the Dean/SSM team. I cannot think of a person more deserving of recognition."
Another physician also praised Bird, writing, "We have some very challenging patients who can be opposition, argumentative, uncooperative, nonadherent to recommendations, and personality disordered. Somehow Janet finds a way to show compassion, empathy, advocacy, and provides expert clinical care to these patients. I frequently hear from patients, spontaneous words of thanks, and gratitude for the nursing care that she provides."