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Nurses work hard. This is a statement few would dispute. But who are the "hardest-working nurses?" Nurses on the medical ICU at Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, NY, take those honors according to Dansko, whose recent contest in partnership with ADVANCE set out to identify just such a group to become the "official Dankso test team."
The team will be given two test outfits - shoes and apparel - for fall and spring. They will wear the products during their day-to-day duties for 2 weeks, after which the nurses will complete a survey regarding style, fit, wear experience and durability. This will give Dansko the opportunity to hear directly from consumers.
When Antonia Gavan, RN, nurse manager of the MICU/coronary care unit, learned of the contest, she submitted an entry on behalf of her team, praising their unfaltering work ethic, passion for patient care and continued unity despite a high-stress environment.
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| THE WINNING TEAM:Front row from left: Haviva Hirsch, RN, Karen Totino, RN, Antonia Gavan, RN, Lili Christensen, nursing care assistant, and Karen McGlynn, DNP, RN, CAN, BC. Back row from left: Linda Condon, DON, Kathy Skarka, CNO, Sonia Nair, RN, Renny Francis, RN, Shannon Costello, RN, Kevin Cardi, RN, Donna Sehlhoff, RN. |
"Every day they deal with the sickest patients in the entire hospital and they do it with intelligence, grace and a sense of humor, but most importantly with a real team effort," Gavan said. "It's all about them doing it together. They couldn't survive in this unit otherwise."
Twenty full-time RNs staff the MICU, an 11-bed unit that averages 130 admissions and 40 transfers from lower-acuity units each month, according to Gavan. They care for patients with conditions such as COPD, diabetic crisis, drug overdose, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, post-cardiac and respiratory arrest, sepsis, and stroke.
A preceptor program and 6-month fellowship on the MICU allows more seasoned nurses the chance to "foster new grads to become critical care nurses," Gavan said. This environment not only promotes the exchange of knowledge, but also forms the foundation for a strong, family-like bound.
"They are close, in and out of the hospital . supportive in every way. They watch each other's children and make sure everyone has the days they need off. They will switch days if needed. They throw parties for each other from birthdays to baby showers," Gavan said.
The newly minted official Dansko test team doesn't just go above and beyond for each other. Patients from all walks of life come onto their unit, but each receives the same devoted care. "Some of these people really have nothing, they have no families and my nurses sort of adopt them, take care of them and become their voice," Gavan said. "We've contacted family members in other countries, trying to tell them their loved one is in the hospital."
The MICU nurses at Nassau University Medical Center are thrilled to have this opportunity, but as Gavan stated in her entry to Dansko, "The patients they care for are the true winners."
Dansko Praises Nurses
Dansko, a Pennsylvania-based shoe and apparel company founded in 1990, set out to connect with consumers and recognize the nursing community with the "In Search of America's Hardest Working Nurses" contest.
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| THE WINNING OUTFITS: Each member of the MICU staff received two full outfits from Dansko, a spring and a winter ensemble. |
Nurses were selected for the program because they "are tougher on their shoes than just about anyone we know. So we figure if we make products that can stand up to a nurse's rigorous schedule, then we have something that will also meet the needs of teachers, chefs, ad execs, flight attendants, moms and more," said Cara Corridoni, PR/promotions manager at Dansko.
The response to the contest was immense, which made choosing a winner a difficult task. "As a community, you should be proud of the dedication and hard work happening every day at every level of the profession," Corridoni said. "It was extremely difficult to select just one team."
The MICU nurses at Nassau University Medical Center received the honor because of their "commitment to preparing the next generation of nurses and their understanding of the Dansko brand."
Catlin Nalley is on staff at ADVANCE.
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