April 2010
Bill
Hunter
,
RN
(Psychiatric Hosp)Richland Springs
Prisma Health Richland Hospital
Columbia
,
SC
United States

 

 

 

This is a nomination for the DAISY Award for Bill Hunter, RN, who is a nurse at Richland Springs Psychiatric Hospital in the Chemical Dependency Unit. I have worked with Mr. Hunter for approximately 6 years at Richland Springs, for the first several years as he worked as a nurse on the Crisis Stabilization Unit and for the last two years during his time on the Chemical Dependency Unit.

When a doctor assumes responsibility for caring for inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse patients, he or she hopes that they have nurses on their team that are skillful, empathetic, knowledgeable in their chosen field, compassionate, safe, ethical and moral. To sum it up in a single word-COMPETENT. It’s a bonus if they are team players, easy to get along with, keep you up to date on the little details that other nurses overlook, are willing to go above and beyond for their patients, peers and their doctors. If they do this with the sole reason because, as I have heard Mr. Hunter say when I try to give him a compliment, “I am just doing my job” then, you have found your DAISY Award winner.

If sheer character is not enough, let me give you some examples of what makes Bill not just a good nurse but a phenomenal one. When a Code Blue or Code White is called in our hospital, Bill is usually the first nurse on the scene with equipment, stethoscope and ready and willing to do whatever is asked to assist. When on the rare occasion, we have needed an IV stick in an emergency, Bill is the nurse that my partner and I look for and often overhead page because we know without a doubt that he can access a vein. I’ve never seen Bill miss. Bill called me once after I admitted a patient, but before myself or the internist had seen the patient, to let me know that during his nursing assessment, he just happened to listen to the patient’s chest and he detected atrial fibrillation. The patient was then medically admitted for treatment.

Finally I have never in six years walked into Richland Springs and not seen a smile on Mr. Hunter’s face. He may have had a bad day, he may have had six admissions, he might have just had a patient threaten him, he may have just spent 30 minutes on the phone with a family explaining the same things he explained to them for 30 minutes the day before, but he still has a smile on his face.

Mr. Hunter is who I would want taking care of my husband, father, mother, sister or brother. As a doctor at Palmetto Health Alliance, he is someone I want working on my team. I have the highest faith and trust in Mr. Bill Hunter and that is not something I say lightly.