Lisa Cerini
May 2020
Lisa
Cerini
,
RN
Medical Stepdown
Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Minneapolis
,
MN
United States

 

 

 

3K is a field of DAISY Nurses each at varying stages of development from "seedlings" to blooms. Selecting "one" for recognition could be a daunting task, but not this time. Lisa Cerini's capabilities, compassion, and credibility are evident and have been throughout the many years I have observed her in her role on 3K. This is demonstrated by her:
1. Treating her patients as "people", not diseases or "conditions" and meeting her patients "where they are at." I have witnessed her ability to form a partnership with her patients to accomplish the goals of care.
2. She does the above (#1) without compromising her authority.
3. My observations have been that she routinely anticipates the needs of her patients. My perspective on that comes from noticing that many times (and it is variable from day to day) that her patients seem to be on the call box less than many. I surmise this is indicative of her meeting and anticipating their needs. No nurse is ever lucky enough to be assigned all the happy campers. Lisa makes happy campers of her patients.
These things alone would qualify Lisa for special recognition I am sure. As I am writing this, a current patient returning from an appointment lamented that his nurse doesn't listen to him. I can't ever recall hearing that from a Lisa patient!!
Nursing is not what Lisa does. It is who she is. Lisa's caring extends beyond the assigned caseload for her shift. This I know personally.
On a recent Sunday at the completion of my shift I had a bit of difficulty as I headed down the hall. Of course, I didn't know I was having difficulty and even denied it. But Lisa knew and she was right. Very right. She and a float nurse descended upon me and scooped me up in a wheelchair. After resisting and denying I needed help, I too submitted to Lisa. I guess I was too weak to fight it and trusted her judgment. My assessment and interventions began here in our own ER. Included but not limited to IV fluids and magnesium supplementation. My primary care provider in the private sector added antibiotics and note for 5 days off work and several follow up appointments. Upon my return to work I quipped that thanks to Lisa, reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated. I feel blessed to know someone who cares about all in her pathway, not just those assigned.