I would like to nominate Mandi for the DAISY Educator Award. I nominated her several years ago when she was working as a SWAT nurse, but after continuing to see the kind of nurse she is and now having the opportunity to learn from her as a nurse educator, I believe she deserves to be recognized again.
One of the things I have always admired most about Mandi is that she was an educator long before “educator” was her job title. When she worked as a SWAT nurse, I was present for several SWATs that she led. Even in situations where there was urgency and a great deal happening at once, she took the time to educate both the nurse and the patient. She did not simply come in, address the immediate problem, and leave. She explained what was happening and why. She took the time to educate and reassure the patient whenever appropriate. Her teaching continued during the SWAT and afterward. She always had the composure to turn stressful situations into teachable moments.
As a nurse educator, that same quality is still there. I attended Mandi’s BLS class in July, and what stood out to me was that she did not just play the required BLS material and move through the course. She explained why allowing complete chest recoil during CPR is important rather than asking us only to remember that it is required. She engaged the class with questions and encouraged us to look up what agonal breathing actually looks like so that we could recognize it in a real emergency. She continually brought the material back to what we may encounter with an actual patient.
There is a difference between performing a job well and genuinely caring about the work you are doing. Mandi does both. Whether I have watched her at the bedside as a SWAT nurse or sat in her classroom as a student, she has demonstrated the same commitment to nursing, education, and patient care.
I believed Mandi was an extraordinary nurse worthy of recognition several years ago, and I still believe that today. She has carried those same qualities with her into nursing education.
I am grateful for everything I have learned from Mandi and for the impact she continues to have on the students she teaches and on the patients we care for. The field of nursing needs infinitely more Mandis.
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is an international program that honors the compassionate care and clinical excellence nurses bring to their patients every day. The program is now in 4,300 health care facilities across 26 countries. Nominate your favorite DCH nurse today! Click below for the nomination form.
