Nursing Excellence: Winner of Daisy Nurse Leader Award Supports Staff as Cherished Family

May 20, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence

Mardisa Samson-Ramos, MSN, BSN, RN, right, with Frances Cartwright, PhD, RN-BC, AOCN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer, The Mount Sinai Hospital.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses was created in 1999 to honor the compassionate care that nurses provide for patients and family members. DAISY Nurses are recognized for the acts of kindness and the sensitivity they demonstrate every day—the things that make a profound difference in a patient’s experience in health care. The DAISY Nurse Leader Award was created for a different purpose—to shine a light on the managers and others who do not typically have direct patient care as part of their work but are responsible for creating the environment where compassionate care by clinicians can thrive. The people who nominate them for the DAISY Nurse Leader Award are typically their staff, who describe the impact leaders have on their ability to provide high-quality, compassionate care.

Mardisa Samson-Ramos, MSN, BSN, RN, a nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at The Mount Sinai Hospital, was awarded the hospital’s 2022 Daisy Nurse Leader Award. Mardisa came to Mount Sinai in 1986, working at the bedside for 27 years, moving on to become a nurse manager. In 2019, she assisted in the opening of the Liver Transplant Intensive Care Unit (TICU) and assumed the nurse leader role for both SICU and TICU.

The praise she has garnered from members of her staff demonstrates why she was a top contender for this recognition. Here are just a few of their comments:

“Mardisa’s dedicated, energetic, and familial spirit makes the Surgical ICU not just a workplace but a home for many of us that work with her. What makes Mardisa stand out to me is Mardisa’s immense humility, dedication, and love for the Surgical ICU. During my time in the SICU/TICU Mardisa has earned the respect of her colleagues, physicians, staff, patients and hospital leadership due to her enthusiasm for nursing excellence, knowledge advancement, and consideration towards everyone she encounters. Prior to the rollout of the Surgical ICU’s first tracheal transplant recipient, Mardisa, in coordination with our educator, made it a priority that the nurses felt adequately supported and trained. Mardisa wakes up prior to 5 am to spend an hour every morning sitting with every ICU patient and to bring staff breakfast that she has lovingly cooked.”

“Mardisa is available to her staff 24/7. She shows great concern for unit and staff safety and goes the extra mile to assure her unit is adequately staffed to minimize stress and optimize patient care. Nurses have felt at ease calling on her at all times of day and through the night as well. She is known to awaken at home and during the night to address any issue on the unit and discuss resolutions with the staff. Her huddles are well known for open communication and review of patient management and ICU protocol. She cares for the morale of her staff and frequently cooks and bakes for them. She is an exceptional professional intent on ensuring quality care and unit cohesiveness, totally dedicated to nursing her staff and units.”

Mardisa explains the meaning of Mount Sinai as a family:

“The teamwork, collaboration, respect, and caring for one another is always there, and has been reflected in our Silver Beacon award for Nursing Excellence in March of this year. We always provide the utmost support for each other inside and outside of the work environment. This is the legacy that has been passed on to me by my predecessors, which I aim to carry on. This is the place where you build lifetime memories and friendship.

“I am truly grateful and humbled to receive this award. I feel that my dedication and hard work to the Surgical ICU and Transplant has been blessed. It has always been my goal to create a positive work environment, where the team is happy and feels supported. Most importantly, I share my award with my SICU family, because if not for their continued support, I would not be the leader that I am now.”

Nursing Excellence: Calm and Resilient Nurse Is Praised by Patients and Colleagues

May 19, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence

Allison McPherson, LPN

Allison McPherson, LPN, in Internal Medicine, Faculty Practice Associates, The Mount Sinai Hospital, is beloved by her team for her work ethic and caring. Sandra Casey, MSN, Associate Director, Nursing, at the practice, says Allison exemplifies dedication, teamwork, and resilience. “She goes above and beyond for both her patients and colleagues,” Sandra explains. “Allison does not know the words ‘No or I can’t’ and is always punctual and willing to help. Her patients know her by name and constantly ask for her. Allison often stays late to help ease the late staff load, which makes a difference for her colleagues and her patients. She is always thinking of the patient experience. She is the practice chief preceptor, and our new staff always feels very comfortable approaching her for clarity. She simplifies her teaching and tailors her delivery with special attention paid to the individual whom she is precepting. Allison is Mount Sinai excellence.”

Her colleagues appreciate her commitment to excellence in all aspects of nursing care. Sandra calls Allison the team’s “buffer”—loving and knowledgeable, always professional. Even when patients are difficult, she always finds a way to approach them with a calming smile and gentle touch.

Allison says, “It is a pleasure working for Mount Sinai the last 15 years, bringing care, comfort, and a familiar face to my patients. Mount Sinai has become my second home, which makes my patients and co-workers a part of my family. I strive to make everyone I encounter feel welcome in their own special way.”

Nursing Excellence: For a Caring Nurse, Professional Growth Never Stops

May 12, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence

Donald “Donny’” Lamendola, RN, BSN, a nurse in the Department of interventional Radiology at The Mount Sinai Hospital, has more than thirty years of nursing experience. He began his career at the hospital in 2016 and has been making important contributions to patient care ever since.

Donald “Donny’” Lamendola, RN, BSN

Shortly after coming on board, he was nominated for a “Rising Star” award for working on unit-based projects, most notably developing a protocol and outlining safeguards for nurses treating postoperative pain. He played a major role helping the hospital achieve its fourth Magnet designation in 2018, and was selected to escort the Magnet surveyors around his unit during the review that year. In March 2022, Donny was instrumental in helping Mount Sinai achieve stroke recertification by meeting with surveyors, and stressing the importance of how nurses play a significant role in facilitating successful outcomes during stroke emergencies.

Donny describes himself as a “compassionate and caring” person, and as such, he says that “nursing found me” when asked why he entered the field. He tries to learn about a patient’s interests, to connect with them, and to put them at ease. “In that way,“ he says, “ they know you are emotionally involved.’” Donny feels strongly that this kind of connection helps facilitate healing. He is also committed to helping and educating families and his nursing colleagues, whom he calls “world-class.” He explains, “I want to teach the next generation of nurses, so they can carry the torch and provide the very best care to patients.”

Although Donny is triple certified (Oncology, Perianesthesia and Critical Care), he is always looking to further his professional credentials. He intends to pursue a master’s in Nursing Leadership/Education and to become certified in Radiology Nursing.

Nursing Excellence: A ‘Treasured’ Nurse Supports Families and Staff After Childbirth Losses

May 3, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence

Gretchen Kretkowski, RN

Gretchen Kretkowski, RN, is a nurse at Mount Sinai South Nassau and the chair of the hospital’s bereavement council. Gretchen actively reaches out to mothers and families who have experienced a loss during or shortly after childbirth.

She ensures families are seen by bereavement team members while in the hospital and follows up with patients who have experienced a loss by phoning them after they are discharged to assess how they are coping with their loss. If she believes they are in need of help, Gretchen will secure referrals for more assistance.

Elena Lobatch DNP, RNC-OB, NE-BC, Senior Director of Nursing, Patient Care Services at Mount Sinai South Nassau, says Gretchen is also an invaluable resource to the staff.

“She designed an education session on bereavement and teaches new Labor and Delivery nurses about bereavement support to patients and families. She shares her expertise with new perinatal bereavement committee members. Gretchen helps nurses navigate best practices for therapeutic communication. She takes phone calls on her days off or in the middle of the night if a fellow nurse needs guidance on the bereavement process. Gretchen is invaluable in supporting the staff members after a stressful or traumatic event on the job. Recently she also helped a family member of a fellow nurse, who suffered a full-term perinatal death. Gretchen’s empathy, compassion, and willingness to help those during a devastating time is extraordinary. She is our treasure.”

Gretchen clearly considers her role as a nurse specializing in bereavement as a calling. “To have the honor to be at someone’s side when they are going through maybe one of their darkest moments, to connect in the deepest human level is sacred ground. I am so intensely grateful I have the opportunity to let someone know that for at least that moment they are not alone.”

And she has deep appreciation for her team. “My colleagues have been instrumental in my growth and development as a nurse and as a person. Understanding our relationship with one another allows us to be more authentically connected to our patients, and ask, “What would I need in this moment?” Or, “What would help to make me feel less alone, afraid, or heard?” I counsel my new nurses not to be afraid to connect on a human level. They should be real, be honest.”

Read more Stories of Nursing Excellence

Nursing Excellence: An Insightful Nurse Practitioner Delivers ‘Exemplary Care’

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence

Ivonne Pereira, NP

Ivonne Pereira, NP, is an advanced practice nurse in the Oncology-Hematology and Infusion Center at Mount Sinai West. Toby Bressler, PhD, RN, Senior Director of Nursing for Oncology and Clinical Quality at Mount Sinai West, calls Ivonne “a nurse’s nurse.”

Dr. Bressler explains, “Ivonne is a dedicated and insightful provider who treats each patient like family and delivers exemplary clinical care to each individual with attention to detail. Ivonne interfaces with many departments, ensuring that all infusion orders are accurate and appropriate lab work and surveillance is completed prior to treatment. Her coordination of care is the best, bar none, and she has a laser focus on quality to ensure patient safety.  Ivonne represents all the Mount Sinai Health System’s values, within our institution and beyond. “

Ivonne has also made a difference in advance care planning.  “Since Ivonne has joined our team, our advance care plan completion rates have doubled,” Dr. Bressler says. “This is largely due to Ivonne’s reviewing each patient’s medical record and speaking with every patient to assist them in completing this important document.”

Ivonne is grateful to be an integral part of a patient’s care team. “It is so rewarding when I connect with my patients and earn their trust,“ she says. “Each of their stories is unique and special to me. Every day is a memorable experience, and I am very fortunate to be a part of all of these lives.”