Nancy Callaham, BSN, RN exemplifies what it means to be a Dayton Children’s Nurse and has been here for 28 years. She knows and works well with everyone. Nancy transitions effortlessly between working with schedulers, the team members from a multitude of disciplines, administration staff and most importantly the families. Her genuine kindness, professionalism and caring for the families that come to Dayton Children’s is felt by all who interact with her.
Nancy is never without a smile and a welcoming presence which add to her people skills. Her communication skills are impeccable, whether through her formal, comprehensive care plans or in breaking down complex medical procedures and diagnoses into language that families can easily understand. She is extremely knowledgeable. Nancy is an integral member of the team, working with complex scheduling with various specialty providers availability and critically matching and prioritizing patient/family care to meet everyone’s needs. She finds great delight in sharing any new idea, concept, or way of doing things to make it easier to complete common tasks. One could learn something new from her every day.
Nancy is a poster child for professional nursing, doing what’s right not just enough to get by. She attacks challenges with a great attitude and never loses her endearing sense of humor. She works to achieve a balance, a common ground, between professional goals for families and the families own goals, which often are not exactly the same. She never loses sight of what is the best interest of all involved. Nancy develops key relationships with persons outside in the community as well. She can call a pharmacist in an outlying county, talk to them on a first name basis, to get what she needs for her families/patients. This is a daily occurrence with many different agencies.
Nancy is a tireless advocate for our patients and what is right. She volunteered to assist the lab when they needed assistance with urinary catheters for families sent here from their outside provider’s offices. This is a selfless act, some may think minor but it is a huge service to our families and the community at large. Nancy absolutely embodies all the skills, knowledge, empathy and caring that make Dayton Children’s such a special place to work and to bring our children to for care.