Kaitie Haenni has been with me every step of my journey from Emergency Department Nurse Extern, Graduate Nurse, and now, finally, RN.

Starting in a new position, especially one that holds a lot of responsibility, is very daunting and overwhelming. I never once felt as if I was alone or didn’t know where to turn if problems arose. Kaitie was always willing to transition my education and orientation to fit my learning styles, allowing me to achieve the necessary education to meet my long-term goals. Transparency, communication, and empathy are three key skill sets that Kaitie executes time and time again.

In order to transition into better policy compliance and further stability within the ED, Kaitie reshaped the new grad orientation entirely. She started from scratch and spent countless hours verifying that we were exceeding compliance prior to ending orientation. While continuing her onboarding of all other ED positions, she managed to spend weekdays overseeing new grads to offer one-on-one, instant feedback and education in real time.

Weekly off-the-floor training provided extended education on high-risk situations and medications. She routinely checked in with each staff member and requested feedback from all parties in order to make changes to best suit each individual. Kaitie has always maintained consistent support, and she never fails to go above and beyond to help her team.

All nurses are lifelong learners, but Kaitie has surpassed normal standards by sharing her knowledge, experiences, and insight in ever-changing ways. She is a truly magnificent human, and Bronson is lucky to have such a wonderful addition assisting new hires as they transition into their roles.

I would like to nominate Kaitie Haenni for the DAISY Nurse Educator Award. When I saw this new award option, her name instantly popped into my head. She is beyond deserving for her creativity, dedication, drive, and collaboration. Kaitie has only been in the role for a short period of time and has already made a huge impact on both our staff and department.

Taking on the Emergency Department education role was no small feat. Kaitie’s effective communication, organization, and role modeling skills played a vital role in making her successful. Supporting a large department means constant staff turnover and onboarding. One of Kaitie’s innovative ways to address simultaneously onboarding 12 new nurses was to rearrange her schedule so that she could work side-by-side with the group and their preceptors, providing real-time feedback and support. She could easily see which nurse had a sedation or chest pain protocol. She then would step in and walk the nurse through the protocols, interventions, rationale, and documentation. By adding this extra touch, it has enhanced the orientee’s learning and understanding.

Kaitie has also come up with a very informative monthly newsletter. She is quick to round and educate the staff about new initiatives and reinvigorate old practices that might have slipped. In all that she does, she easily establishes clear learning outcomes and provides constructive feedback. She has a direct yet soft and approachable demeanor that staff appreciate. Since Kaitie has taken on this role, the best perk has been her ability to build collaborative working relationships with all aspects of our team. For this alone, she should be commended.