July 27, 2007  Wendy Houseknecht, RN, BSN, obstetrics, received the 2007 Nursing Excellence Award for mentoring. The award was created by Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek to recognize contributions nurses make to their patients, each other and the profession of nursing. Wendy was nominated by Cindy Walters, RN, senior director of nursing. Here is an excerpt from her winning nomination:
"As an advanced clinical nurse, Wendy has
more than 15 years of experience in caring
for the obstetrical patient in the ambulatory
and acute care setting. During the past
three years, Wendy has embraced all
aspects of the obstetrical patient safety intitiative and consistently exemplified
new safety behaviors that are critical to instilling a culture of safety within the
patient care arena. Patient safety training focused on the implementation of the
interdisciplinary Med Teams program, which is derived from resource
management concepts in the aviation industry. "On a daily basis, Wendy mentors staff how to utilize the prescribed Med
Teams communication strategies during interdisciplinary coordinating team
meetings and maintains team focus on situational awareness, team awareness
of the plan of care, cross-monitoring, use of S-BAR, and the need to consider a
plan of action for 'what if' patient scenarios. She supports staff during the
debriefing process after patient events and staff shifts to help the entire team
evaluate what they did well, what they could do better and what they learned. "Wendy stands out from other nurses with her clinical excellence and consistent
'can do' attitude. She is often described by staff as a cheerleader who promotes
a positive attitude and whose energy is always available to assist with
managerial or clinical issues. She is able to transition quickly from administrative
responsibilities to assisting the team during a clinical emergency. "Wendy's efforts have been successful in gaining interdisciplinary staff support
for changes in how safe patient care is provided on a daily basis. She has
contributed to the nursing profession through her commitment and ongoing
efforts, which empower the obstetrics (OB) team to advocate for the safety of
mother and baby. Wendy has worked collaboratively with the newly developed
role of the OB safety nurse during the implementation of this critical initiative. "Wendy's energy is contagious. She has the ability to make others smile and
see the positive side in almost all situations. These positive attributes are
quickly observed and appreciated by her colleagues and supervisors."
Three other Johns Hopkins Bayview nurses were named finalists for the 2007 Nursing Excellence Award and recognized at an awards ceremony in June. Congratulations to Rowena Orosco, RN, Johns Hopkins Burn Center (clinical care); Delores Sweets, RN, pediatrics (community service); and Linda Miller, RN, CNS, Magnet Project (teaching), on their nominations. | 
