Amanda Lenwell, L.P.N., was the December 2008 Community North Daisy Award recipient. She works in the Community Regional Cancer Center and was nominated by a patient.
Lenwell incorporated a genuine human touch to immediately put a patient’s fears and anxieties to rest. Her quick display of compassion followed by commendable execution of nursing skills did not go unnoticed.
“Amanda has been very helpful, kind and considerate,” says the patient who nominated Lenwell. “She made me feel at ease immediately. She listened to my concerns and talked to me as a person that she truly cared about.”
Being in the nurse’s capable hands eased the fears and anxieties of this patient’s hospital visit. “It usually takes three to four tries for anyone to put an IV in my arm,” explains the patient, “and she did it on the first try with very little discomfort at all.”
Lenwell, who previously worked on the oncology floor at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, joined the network at Community North during the summer of 2007. She now works at the cancer center on the North campus and says she learns more from the nurses that she works with than she ever did in a classroom. Lenwell explains, “Both in the hospital and at the cancer center, I know that I wouldn’t be half of the nurse that I am if it weren’t for the amazing nurses that I work with all the time.”
This outside-the-box learning has definitely paid off, according to the patient who nominated her for this award. “She is an amazing caregiver and a wonderful nurse. There are not enough kind words to express the gratitude I feel for her care.” The patient adds, “I am very impressed by her. She is an excellent reflection on this hospital and deserves all the awards and accolades you have to give.”
Lenwell is working toward acquiring her BSN-RN through Indiana State University, with the hopes of graduating in 2009. She decided to join Commuity because of the opportunities that are extended to new nurses here and the commitment to continuing education for nurses.
Learn more about nursing at Community at eCommunity.com/nursing
Made possible through the generous support of the Community Health Network Foundation, the Daisy Award program received nominations naming 70 Community Hospital North nurses during the month of November. Nominations were submitted by patients and families, either on paper or through the hospital’s interactive patient care system, the GetWell Network, which is currently only available on the campus of Community North. From those nominations Community North’s nursing directors selected the winning nomination based on the principles of Community’s exceptional patient experience: providing care that is high quality, safe, compassionate, special and timely.
