Teri is an exceptional nurse. She is compassionate, caring, experienced, and knowledgeable. She is always there for her fellow team members whenever we need assistance caring for our patients. She was right there by my side when I ended up becoming a patient in the middle of my shift.
I'm a clinical nurse, and as many of you may know we often put the needs of our patients before our own. It was just a regular shift, and just a few hours in I began to feel "funny." I diagnosed myself as hungry, so I grabbed a snack and kept it moving. Surprisingly, my snack didn't work. I continued to feel worse. I was lightheaded, dizzy, and not okay. I called Teri to see if she could help manage my patients while I try to figure out what's going on and feel better.
Basically, Teri cut me off and told me that I was going to the emergency room. I tried to object; she was not having it. She became a better advocate for my well-being than I was. She coordinated with the AOD to get my team covered, and they wheeled me down to the ER. She went above and beyond to help make sure I felt safe and well cared for. She stayed with me through the triage until I got back on a stretcher to be looked at by a provider. She continued to come down and check on me in the ER until I was discharged.
This is just my own personal experience working with her. Teri may no longer be at the bedside providing direct patient care to patients, but she is essentially providing direct care to our nursing team whenever they need assistance. She is the embodiment of what it means to be an extraordinary nurse. She always exemplifies the values we try to maintain when we are caring for those in our community: Trust, Respect, and Dignity.