We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Arisotle\

This quote exemplifies the nursing practice of Ginny Griffin RN, PACU Staff Nurse. Ginny continually strives to exceed her patient's expectations every time and with every encounter, regardless of any obstacle.

Recently, the PACU was asked to help out with a patient who had been treated with conventional treatment for depression unsuccessfully and was going to receive an alternative treatment for depression. This treatment was with an anesthetic agent and would require an RN from the PACU to be present for monitoring during and after medication administration. When Ginny was approached to be the nurse to care for this patient, she willingly accepted the assignment and sought to learn as much about the new treatment and the patient that would be receiving it. As the treatment progressed and there were signs that there were positive changes in the patient's feelings and behavior, Ginny continued to be committed to the process. She established a therapeutic relationship with the patient, visited her on the floor, post-procedure, and found small ways to encourage the progress the patient was making. Ginny would switch her shits to insure that she would be present for the treatments. Prior to the treatments in the PACU, the patient complimented Ginny's nails. Ginny made it a point to visit her in her room a few days later and presenter her with a birthday present: a bottle of nail polish and a promise to help do her nails.

Ginny took her experience with this patient a step further and chose to in-service the rest of the staff on this new treatment. We learned so much from Ginny's presentation. Dr. Andrea Seek was the Psychiatrist that spearheaded this extraordinary treatment and this is what she had to say about Ginny:

"Ginny is brave. She dove right in to facilitate a treatment that was brand new for Lahey, controversial, and unfamiliar to all of us. Treating psychiatric patients makes so many nurses uneasy about whether they have the right skills. The effort to arrest a patient's willful self-destruction could not have been a more unusual case for a critical care nurse's training. Ginny immediately understood what we were trying to achieve with this patient's ketamine treatments, and managed all the parts of the room and patient, while we were engaged in a most unusual psychotherapy. No one ever knew what to expect from her, and no one knew what to expect from the ketamine. You all didn't know me! But Lahey's first experience with ketamine therapy for psychiatric illness went very well. We gave our patient the chance to tell her story. Natalie's pain and anger dissipated, happy feelings came back from nowhere, she didn't try to kill herself again, and she went home every time, rather than to another locked psychiatric unit. Ginny and I got to meet this sweet and funny person, who lived thru way too much trauma. Thanks to Ginny for sharing her skills and making this possible."

There are many other examples of Ginny's compassion and commitment to excellence. We would also like to take this opportunity to recognize her exemplary teamwork. There has not been one time when we have asked Ginny to work late, switch her shift, or work extra hours in Ambulatory Surgery that she has not done so. She not only cares about her patients, she is committed to her co-workers; a true team player.

We are honored in the PACU and Surgical Services that Ginny is our team member and her patients and families are blessed to have her as their nurse. Ginny deserves the DAISY Award because for her, excellence is a part of who she is.