October 2011 – Leisha Archer
I would like to nominate Leisha Archer, staff nurse in Perioperative Services at the Legacy Campus, for the DAISY Award. Leisha is a deserving candidate for this award, and I am privileged to share her story with you:
The Perioperative Service Line presents a rather unique nursing challenge: as caregivers, we have a limited but very important opportunity to connect with families, make a positive impact, and offer the best possible patient care. In this type of setting, successful nurses must demonstrate flexibility and adaptability because patients move through the system quickly and their needs often change very rapidly. Leisha understands this model well, and executes it with integrity. She possesses a nurturing yet extremely organized style of caregiving. Leisha is able to facilitate overall efficiency/ turnover while making each patient and family feel valued and unhurried. In this fast-paced environment, Leisha is thoroughly accountable to her task at hand. She applies core knowledge and developmental principles to evaluate and reassure preoperative patients and parents. It is imperative that these patients are safe and prepared for their surgical experience, and Leisha guarantees this for each patient/family. Conversely, Leisha is a stellar teacher and support system for patients and families in the postoperative phase of care – she quickly identifies their needs and prepares them to go home armed with knowledge and confidence.
Regardless of the situation, Leisha always strives for excellence. She is a top performer for the preop/postop team; in fact, in one recent five-month time frame Leisha touched over 630 patients who entered our doors. She gives 110% every day, and it shows in her patient responses. Leisha approaches every patient/parent encounter with skill, compassion and respect. In particular, one familiar preop scenario showcases Leisha’s excellence: she is especially comforting to teenage patients who require preoperative IV access. Leisha explains the situation thoroughly, allays patient/family anxiety with education and emotional support, and skillfully inserts the IV with precision. Most patients are amazed that it was “so easy” – much of this reaction is due to Leisha’s coaching and skill level.
Finally, it is vital to close the loop in perioperative care with a follow-up phone call. On the Legacy Campus, we receive targeted feedback on patient satisfaction during our postoperative conversation with families. Often, Leisha is mentioned by name as a caregiver who delivered “very good” care to the patient and family. They feel respected by Leisha, as well as nurtured by her comforting, empathic style.
In summary, Leisha’s story is truly defined by the composite impact of her daily level of engagement, enthusiasm and care. She consistently does the right thing, for every patient, without exception. She is truly a model nurse and a tremendous asset for the Legacy Perioperative team. I feel fortunate to have worked with her, and I am pleased to endorse her for the DAISY Award.