I began my career at Packard as a capstone student.  Following my interview, I had the opportunity to choose between several units.  All I knew was that I never wanted to feel uncomfortable asking questions.  In deciding, I asked my preceptor which unit had a reputation for being supportive of other nurses.  She took a few days to respond but said 360 had a reputation for being nurturing of their nurses.  I ended up joining 360's team, and after about a year, the bulk of our staff and I transferred to PCU 400.  Joining the 400 team was likely the best professional decision I’ve ever made.  The team is as advertised - knowledgeable, empathetic, and supportive to the nth degree.  Our patient care is second to none.  We have a diverse spread of challenging patients requiring a broad knowledge base and exceptional teamwork. Our patients include the STAR population, Neurosurgery, ENT, Orthopedics, Psych, and a whole lot of seizures.  Even with the unpredictability of our population, we've maintained over 90% hand hygiene compliance over the last year.  As a result, we've managed to exceed two years CLABSI free (and counting).  Those metrics are huge and support the excellence of our care in a tangible way.  But that's not really what makes PCU 400 special.  We can't support our patients without supporting one another.  We've learned to do that better than anyone.  

There was a two-year stretch on 400, where we had the most challenging patients of my career. These patients were so difficult to care for safely that they each had their own dedicated security guard, multiple sitters, and 1:1 nursing.  One of the silver linings of treating these challenging patients is that it galvanized and honed the teamwork of our group.  So, last week, when I cared for an adult-sized, combative, TBI patient, I knew I'd be fine. When I learned that the patient was in restraints, a C-collar, having frequent blow-outs, and still somehow managing to self-harm, I knew I'd be okay. 

I knew my team, my friends, would support me. So, when I texted out for the first blowout, I had two additional staff at bedside within thirty seconds. When I texted out for an extremely challenging C-collar check, I had three additional staff at bedside right away.  And when I texted out for my fourth blowout, I actually had to ask people to step away because I had too much support.  If I hadn't seen the patient board, I never would have known that night we had seven other 2:ls and a 1:1. But that goes to show what makes our unit so special and drove me to write this nomination.  I wasn't the only one having a hard night, most of the unit was struggling. Yet, if you had floated to our unit, you'd never know because our TL and RSN were rounding constantly, and nobody waited more than thirty seconds if they needed help. That's what makes our unit exceptional; we don't just care for the patients. We care for one another.