September 2018
Courtney
Montony
,
BSN, RN
5 East Observation/ Pediatric Unit
Jersey City Medical Center
Jersey City
,
NJ
United States
Courtney Montony truly exemplifies the ideals of the DAISY Award - clinical expertise and compassionate care. Though she will soon be leaving to embark on a new nursing journey in a pediatric critical care setting, I thought it was important to recognize her as a one of a kind nurse who has made a huge impact, both on our unit and in her patients' lives.
Clinically, Courtney is an incredible nurse. She is intelligent and constantly challenges herself to grow and learn new concepts and skills. If she doesn't know the answer to a question, she will go above and beyond to find the answer, especially when it's related to patient care. She is highly committed to patient education and makes sure she takes time with each patient to assess not only their health, but also their education needs. I have seen her sit down with a patient for an hour to really educate him/her on a new diagnosis or to just listen to their thoughts and fears. In addition, she has recently become a preceptor for new nurses on our unit. She really emphasizes finding out how the new nurse learns best, ensuring that she is as supportive and informative as possible while they are in the orientation stage.
Courtney's clinical expertise is surpassed only by her support of the team and her dedication to compassionate care. Courtney is someone that every nurse on our unit turns to for information, advice, and support. We can ask her for help with inserting a new IV, ask her to help give medications when we're having a busy day, and we know she will help without hesitation. She's a team player who views every patient on the unit as all of ours and goes out of her way to brighten the day of all those she sees throughout the day. She has been on the Workforce Improvement and Unit Practice Councils to ensure a positive work environment for all our nurses, carefully listening to our suggestions and being the bridge between nurses and upper management.
All of this is to say that Courtney is an incredible coworker to have on the team, as she is supportive and always has a smile on her face. However, what is most special about her is that she delivers compassionate care to every patient, every family, every time. When trying to decide on one specific example to share to demonstrate her compassion, my memory is flooded with patients over the last two years who have talked about their amazing nurse Courtney and of times that she has gone above and beyond to provide compassionate care with other members of the team.
For example, because she loves the pediatric population so much, Courtney has time and again donated coloring books, crayons, and toys so that kids would have something to play with at the hospital. Kids and parents have asked me many times if their favorite nurse, Courtney, would be back the next morning.
One patient was a teenage boy with developmental disabilities. Courtney was immediately excited to have him as a patient, as her first career and one of her many passions, was working with children with special needs. But recognizing that nursing is not just about the patient, but also about the family, Courtney must have provided a tremendous support to the patient's mother, who was staying in the hospital with her son, but also had to do work to provide an income for her family. I'm not sure what she did or said for this woman, but the next day the patient's mother told me how wonderful she is and how it meant so much to her to feel so supported and comfortable while being in the hospital. She teared up, telling me that she was beyond grateful for the nursing care her son had received while he was our patient. That is just one specific example of a sentiment expressed by countless patients who have been touched by her compassion, empathy, and love.
It has been a privilege and honor to work with such an incredible nurse over the last two years, one who challenges me to be my best, cries with me and reassures me after a hard day and reminds me why we chose to be a part of the greatest profession. She is a role model to other nurses, and she truly embodies the meaning behind one of the highest honors of nursing, the DAISY Award.
Clinically, Courtney is an incredible nurse. She is intelligent and constantly challenges herself to grow and learn new concepts and skills. If she doesn't know the answer to a question, she will go above and beyond to find the answer, especially when it's related to patient care. She is highly committed to patient education and makes sure she takes time with each patient to assess not only their health, but also their education needs. I have seen her sit down with a patient for an hour to really educate him/her on a new diagnosis or to just listen to their thoughts and fears. In addition, she has recently become a preceptor for new nurses on our unit. She really emphasizes finding out how the new nurse learns best, ensuring that she is as supportive and informative as possible while they are in the orientation stage.
Courtney's clinical expertise is surpassed only by her support of the team and her dedication to compassionate care. Courtney is someone that every nurse on our unit turns to for information, advice, and support. We can ask her for help with inserting a new IV, ask her to help give medications when we're having a busy day, and we know she will help without hesitation. She's a team player who views every patient on the unit as all of ours and goes out of her way to brighten the day of all those she sees throughout the day. She has been on the Workforce Improvement and Unit Practice Councils to ensure a positive work environment for all our nurses, carefully listening to our suggestions and being the bridge between nurses and upper management.
All of this is to say that Courtney is an incredible coworker to have on the team, as she is supportive and always has a smile on her face. However, what is most special about her is that she delivers compassionate care to every patient, every family, every time. When trying to decide on one specific example to share to demonstrate her compassion, my memory is flooded with patients over the last two years who have talked about their amazing nurse Courtney and of times that she has gone above and beyond to provide compassionate care with other members of the team.
For example, because she loves the pediatric population so much, Courtney has time and again donated coloring books, crayons, and toys so that kids would have something to play with at the hospital. Kids and parents have asked me many times if their favorite nurse, Courtney, would be back the next morning.
One patient was a teenage boy with developmental disabilities. Courtney was immediately excited to have him as a patient, as her first career and one of her many passions, was working with children with special needs. But recognizing that nursing is not just about the patient, but also about the family, Courtney must have provided a tremendous support to the patient's mother, who was staying in the hospital with her son, but also had to do work to provide an income for her family. I'm not sure what she did or said for this woman, but the next day the patient's mother told me how wonderful she is and how it meant so much to her to feel so supported and comfortable while being in the hospital. She teared up, telling me that she was beyond grateful for the nursing care her son had received while he was our patient. That is just one specific example of a sentiment expressed by countless patients who have been touched by her compassion, empathy, and love.
It has been a privilege and honor to work with such an incredible nurse over the last two years, one who challenges me to be my best, cries with me and reassures me after a hard day and reminds me why we chose to be a part of the greatest profession. She is a role model to other nurses, and she truly embodies the meaning behind one of the highest honors of nursing, the DAISY Award.