Kerry McDuffee is a remarkable Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) on the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit where I work with her, I witnessed an ease and comfort between Kerry and her patients which indicate trust and a therapeutic relationship. She is a wonderful role model to all of our nurses. New staff nurses view her as a knowledgeable and resourceful preceptor and charge nurse. She forms special bonds with her patients and often goes out of her way to bring desserts to cheer her patients up when they are having a particularly rough day. One of our patients was admitted for a stem cell transplant and remained on our unit for over a year because she had no family or friends in the U.S to care for her at home. The patient was very lonely and depressed. Kerry made sure that she always stopped in to see her, even when she wasn't her primary nurse. She brought this particular patient her Chinese newspaper in the morning and brought her various snacks from the Chinese grocery store, so that she could eat food that she loved. These types of relationships formed by her do not happen on a rare occurrence. Patients and their families always express their gratitude for her passionate nursing care and professionalism.
Kerry studies in the Master of Nursing Program at the Columbia Nursing School. She serves as a secretary of the Unit Practice Council and Skin Care Champion of the unit. She participates in multidisciplinary team rounds and advocates for her patients' needs such as pain management and pressure injury prevention. She requested a special bed for a bedbound patient who is high risk for pressure injuries and repositioned patient periodically. She always shares information from the skin care council meeting with staff (avoid using diapers, proper ways of using Covidien sheet). Her engagement has greatly impacted in pressure ulcer prevention. She also fundraised for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and attended the Light the Night event. Currently, she is working on a BMT orientation project for new nurses. Her dedication and hard work have impacted the quality and safety of the care of our patients and community. Her kindness and extraordinary nursing care is a great exemplar to all nurses. I proudly nominate Kerry McDuffee for the DAISY Award.