I would like to nominate Peggy Elter for her exceptional commitment to high-quality patient care. Peggy recently demonstrated outstanding nursing care when she identified a patient at risk and immediately took action. A patient recently diagnosed with cancer was scheduled for a surgical procedure. Upon completing the telephone pre-admission assessment, Peggy was alarmed when it was noted that the patient had lost 53 pounds in recent months and was severely malnourished. The patient reported only being able to tolerate sips of water per day. Upon further assessment, it was noted that the physicians were unaware of the decline in the patient's condition.

With the recent diagnosis, the patient and family were unsure which provider to reach out to. Unaware of his plan of care and next steps, the patient reported defeat. Peggy stepped in as a patient advocate. Realizing time was of the essence, Peggy immediately notified all the physicians involved in the patient's care. She immediately notified the dietician/nutritionist, with the goal of getting the patient urgent support, as his procedure was still over a week away. Peggy actually went to the offices to speak with someone face-to-face. She refused to end her shift without a resolution. With Peggy's advocacy, the patient was admitted to the hospital, and the multidisciplinary team was alerted to the patient's condition.

Peggy stands true to our organization's core values, delivering high-quality, compassionate care. Peggy was able to quickly assess and assist in ensuring the patient's plan of care was adjusted accordingly, without laying eyes on them. This behavior exemplifies the highest standard of nursing practice and significantly contributed to improving the patient's outcome.