Wendy Houseknecht, RN, BSN, obstetrics, received the 2007 Nursing Excellence Award for mentoring. The award was created by Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek to recognize contributions nurses make to their patients, each other and the profession of nursing. Wendy was nominated by Cindy Walters, RN, senior director of nursing. Here is an excerpt from her winning nomination:

  "As an advanced clinical nurse, Wendy has more than 15 years of experience
   in caring for the obstetrical patient in the ambulatory and acute care setting.
   During the past three years, Wendy has embraced all aspects of the
   obstetrical patient safety initiative and consistently exemplified new safety
   behaviors that are critical to instilling a culture of safety within the patient
   care arena. Patient safety training focused on the implementation of the
   care interdisciplinary Med Teams program, derived from resource
   management concepts in the aviation industry.

  "On a daily basis, Wendy mentors staff how to utilize the prescribed Med Teams communication strategies
   during interdisciplinary coordinating team meetings and maintains team focus on situational awareness, team
   awareness of the plan of care, cross-monitoring, use of S-BAR, and the need to consider a plan of action for
   'what if' patient scenarios. She supports staff during the debriefing process after patient events and staff shifts
   to help the entire team evaluate what they did well, what they could do better and what they learned.

  "Wendy stands out from other nurses with her clinical excellence and consistent 'can do' attitude. She is often
   described by staff as a cheerleader who promotes a positive attitude and whose energy is always available to
   assist with managerial or clinical issues. She is able to transition quickly from administrative responsibilities to
   assisting the team during a clinical emergency.

  "Wendy's efforts have been successful in gaining interdisciplinary staff support for changes in how safe patient
   care is provided on a daily basis. She has contributed to the nursing profession through her commitment and 
   ongoing efforts, which empower the obstetrics (OB) team to advocate for the safety of mother and baby. Wendy
   has worked collaboratively with the newly developed role of the OB safety nurse during the implementation of
   this critical initiative.

  "Wendy's energy is contagious. She has the ability to make others smile and see the positive side in almost all
   situations. These positive attributes are quickly observed and appreciated by her colleagues and supervisors."
  

Three other Johns Hopkins Bayview nurses were named finalists for the 2007 Nursing Excellence Award and recognized at an awards ceremony in June. Congratulations to Rowena Orosco, RN, Johns Hopkins Burn Center (clinical care); Delores Sweets, RN, pediatrics (community service); and Linda Miller, RN, CNS, Magnet Project (teaching), on their nominations.