Joyce has been an Administrative Nurse on our Pediatric Unit at UI Health for over 30 years. Her leadership style, teamwork skills, and compassion for others make her an outstanding candidate for the prestigious DAISY award.
Regarding her leadership style, Joyce consistently demonstrates a positive attitude particularly when she is under stress. Her calm and collected demeanor guides her team during stressful situations. She mentors others to maintain a positive attitude and provide safe patient care.
In addition, Joyce is a strong patient advocate who is willing to go above and beyond to help patients in challenging situations. She is often observed taking the time to listen to her patients/family members' concerns and offering non-judgmental advice. For example, one of our patients was admitted to the pediatric unit because he got sick when he was visiting from Michigan. Unfortunately, the child's family had very little financial resources. When the medical team decided to discharge the baby on a day that she did not plan to be discharged, the mother admitted that she did not have anywhere to go. They could not leave to go back to Michigan because their ride was not able to come until the next day. Therefore, the mother was planning on staying in a homeless shelter for the night. Joyce could not imagine the mother having to stay in a homeless shelter with her child who was just recovering from the hospitalization. Without hesitation, Joyce graciously paid money out of her own pocket to help the mother and child buy a train ticket so they could get back to their home in Michigan.
Thank you, Joyce, for your kind and compassionate care of our patients and their families!