Emily Ruckman
August 2021
Emily
Ruckman
,
FNP-C
Internal Medicine
Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center
Reno
,
NV
United States

 

 

 

Emily's care for her patients and her astounding teamwork show just how much she is committed to excellent patient care.
Emily started off her Monday with a very sick patient on our floor. She stayed in the room with the patient and put orders into the computer. She helped transfer the patient to the CCU alongside me, and the primary nurse. She followed up with the CCU nurses and asked if they needed anything from her. After transferring that patient, another patient on our floor became unstable with severe hypoglycemia that we were unable to correct. She was very attentive and communicated with both nursing and I. That patient also ended up being transferred to the CCU. Again, she met us in the room on CCU and asked the nurses what they needed from her. It doesn't stop there though.

After spending her whole morning with sick patients, she started an IV and drew labs on a patient as well as bladder scanned her. I told my staff how extremely impressed I was with her. Many of them told me that she is always like this. They told me that she helped insert a Foley in a patient a few weeks ago as well. Many of our providers will not even round with the nurses on their patients. Emily's care for her patients and her astounding teamwork show just how much she is committed to excellent patient care. She exceeded the definition of above and beyond. I can't help but think about what we could do as a healthcare team if more providers were like Emily. I hope she never loses that desire to keep doing what she's doing.

***

I would like to start off by saying whatever kind words that can be mentioned here pale in comparison to the person we are trying to describe. Emily is the most thoughtful, considerate, and giving provider that one could ever hope to ask for. When a patient suffering from dementia decompensated, he struck out at a nurse, and his wife was concerned and inconsolable at the bedside. Emily's arrival to the room created an instant sense of calm. Her assessment, explanation, and action of the situation calmed both the wife and the staff in the room.

When a husband and wife were hospitalized with COVID, the husband’s condition worsened, and unfortunately, he passed in the CCU. The husband’s wedding ring was brought down to the Medical Unit to be reunited with the wife. The medical nurse, grief-stricken and shaky, returned the wedding ring to the wife. Emily witnessed the tough heart-wrenching emotions the medical nurse endured. The next day Emily, recognizing the nurse’s experience, gave her a care package and a card containing a much-needed message of support. She also doesn’t confine herself to the typical expectations of her job.

As a former ER nurse, Emily can be heard offering to provide nursing care to her patients, asking nurses if she can help by starting an IV for them. Multiple times, she has offered to help with everyday tasks such as helping to change a patient after a bowel movement or inserting a Foley if needed. She even offered to take a long-term resident’s clothing home to launder. Emily always goes above and beyond for her patients. Never put-out or frustrated, Emily truly enjoys her job, and welcomes challenges with a smile on her face. Despite her heavy caseload, she always finds the time to make patients, their family or even you, feel like you are the only person in the room. Emily takes the time to care, and that is so vitally important when caring for patients. But equally important is the fact that she cares for her fellow coworkers as well. These qualities are what make her a standout candidate for the DAISY Award.

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The first day of team nursing was a very hectic day and my patient lost both of his IVs and needed IV meds ASAP. Emily overheard that I needed an IV for my patient and she stopped what she was doing and started an IV for me. I am greatly appreciative of her.

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Collaborative comprehensive care, consistently shows up in the a.m. Provides a plan of care and is solution-focused. She performs at a level that is a model for her peers. Emily is a valuable asset to the organization.