Anyone who is familiar with the Surgery Trauma Intensive Care Unit knows the force that is Charlotte Grammer. Charlotte has been at VCU Health since 1988, when she started as a care partner. After starting her career in orthopedics, she transitioned to the STICU where she has been ever since. She has been a Clinical Coordinator for eighteen years; in which time she has flourished into an integral part of the unit leadership. 

It is difficult to summarize Charlotte’s countless leadership qualities into one nomination. As a charge nurse, Charlotte’s intelligence, experience, and competence make all those who work with her feel at ease during their shift. It is not uncommon to hear the phrase, “Oh, Charlotte is charge today? Thank God!” Even though we have twenty-eight patients every day, she is somehow able to have a pulse on everything going on. So many times, I witnessed Charlotte check in on a patient or their family and remember such a minute detail that would make you think she is the primary nurse for the patient. She does the same thing with the team. Even when she is pulled in a million different directions, Charlotte will check in on a team member to ensure they can handle their workload, while also asking, “How have you been otherwise? How is your dog? How is your family?” Additionally, Charlotte ensures that we start our day with fresh coffee and delicious homemade banana bread. All these actions are second nature to Charlotte because she genuinely cares about the patients and team.

Above everything, Charlotte ensures the safe and competent care of our patients. An example of her nursing excellence is when a nurse took a patient for a critical diagnostic scan that required intravenous contrast. In the middle of the scan, all the patient’s IV access sites blew, and no one in the area was able to start a new one. The patient’s nurse called Charlotte, and she was upstairs in less than two minutes. She put in an IV like it was nothing, and the patient was able to receive their scan.

Stories like this happen every day under Charlotte’s leadership. You will never hear Charlotte talk about her impressive skills because she has an enormous sense of humility that makes all those around her even more in awe of her clinical practice. Her can-do attitude makes a nurse’s new admission smooth, and her work ethic ensures that the tasks of a heavy patient load are completed. Whether it is cleaning up a patient’s fifth bowel movement of the day, or calmly designating nursing roles in a code blue situation, Charlotte is consistently the glue that holds the unit together. 

One story that exemplifies this is the admission of a trauma patient on the brink of death’s door. He was in an altercation with law enforcement that led to gunfire, and he was shot in multiple places. The patient was on three different vasopressors and a massive transfusion protocol was initiated. Charlotte was training a nurse in the charge role that day, and during shift change that morning, she had her orientee get the charge report so that she could stay and assist with the patient. One of the great aspects of Charlotte’s leadership is her ability to maintain the fine balance of allowing others’ autonomy while also ensuring that patients are safely cared for. By allowing the charge orientee to get report from the off-going charge nurse, Charlotte empowered an emerging unit leader. While she was in the room helping with the critical patient, she allowed the bedside nurse to maintain control of the room while diligently supporting the team and making suggestions to help stabilize the patient. 

Another admirable quality of Charlotte that stands out is her equitable treatment of patients in such situations. The patient was in custody, and yet Charlotte treated the situation the same way she would for any other patient. She helped facilitate family presence at the bedside and updated them with honesty and empathy while allowing them the space to process. Her ethical and compassionate nature inspires others to act in the same fashion. When the patient was stabilized, Charlotte returned to her duties as charge, but she was always present for any needs. If you were to ask Charlotte about this story, she would probably shrug it off because she does not view those actions as anything out of the ordinary, and for her, they are not. Charlotte goes above and beyond for the team, patients, and families every day because she is extraordinary.

It is for these reasons that I, and many others, believe she deserves to be recognized with the DAISY Nurse Leader Award.