Berlin, Md.
– Atlantic General Hospital awarded the DAISY Award for excellence in nursing
to Nettie Widgeon, RN, at a recent presentation.
Widgeon has worked at AGH for 13 years. She was hired as a CNA on med-surg.
Widgeon then became a tech and transferred to the emergency department.
While working in the ED, she received the scholarship from AGH and completed
her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Widgeon then went on to become
a charge nurse in the emergency department. Four months ago, she took
the clinical supervisor position for the health system. Additionally,
Widgeon is a SAFE Nurse (Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner) for the AGH.
Of her nomination, Widgeon said, “This was a true highlight of my
career. There is no greater job in the world than being a nurse. It is
who I am.”
One nomination Widgeon received recounted a situation in which a patient
was brought to the ER with slurred speech and disorientation. While the
patient admitted to having too much to drink, Nettie realized not all
his symptoms pointed to alcohol intoxication. Due to her sharp observation,
the patient was diagnosed with a severe brain hemorrhage and he was immediately
transferred for surgery.
The nomination stated, “In a quick and challenging environment, this
was an exceptional medical assessment alert to the physician. All nurses
are caring; some have more experience than others, however, a quick eye
to the abnormal can result in a lifesaving event. Had the patient been
treated for his agitation, rather than the hidden, immediate problem,
this case could have resulted in a grim outcome.”
The
DAISY Award, created by The DAISY Foundation in Memory of J. Patrick Barnes, honors
the extraordinary work nurses do for patients and families each day. Hospital
leadership brought the awards program to Atlantic General to recognize
the compassion and high level of care its nurses provide to residents
and visitors of the community.
Patients and visitors can nominate an Atlantic General Hospital and Health
System nurse for the DAISY Award at any time. Nomination forms are available
in every hospital department and health system physician office. Awards
are bestowed quarterly.
Caption:
From L to R: Kelly Fox, BSN RN; Andy West-McCabe, RN, Director of Practice
Transformation and Emergency Department; Nettie Widgeon, RN, 1st Quarter Fiscal Year 2018 DAISY recipient; Tim Whetstine, new Vice President
of Practice Administration; Mary Mullins, RN, Clinical Coordinator of
Wound Care.
About Atlantic General Hospital
Atlantic General Hospital has been providing quality health care to the
residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset (Md.) and Sussex (Del.) counties
since May 1993. Built by the commitment and generosity of a dedicated
community, the hospital’s state-of-the-art facility in Berlin, Md.,
combines old-fashioned personal attention with the latest in technology
and services. It provides quality specialty care such as weight loss surgery,
orthopedics, outpatient infusion and chemotherapy for individuals with
cancer or blood/autoimmune disorders, and a comprehensive women’s
diagnostic center. Atlantic General Health System, its network of more
than 40 primary care providers and specialists, care for residents and
visitors throughout the region. For more information about Atlantic General
Hospital, visit
www.atlanticgeneral.org.
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