Continuing the Nurses Month celebration, we’d like to share personal stories about some of our nurses. Noelle BSN, RN, CCM, Nurse Educator for Learning & Performance When Noelle BSN, RN, CCM, Nurse Educator for Learning & Performance, heard Utilization Review (UR) had a need for assistance due to the COVID-19 quarantine, she sprang into action. Normally she focuses on new hire training for Telephonic Case Management (TCM), [caption id="attachment_1660" align="alignright" width="149"] Noelle BSN, RN, CCM[/caption] Field Case Management (FCM), and UR. She placed all her duties on hold to provide a crash course on UR training for six TCM nurses (Laura RN CCM, Haley RN, CCM, Nikole RN, BSN, Carla RN, CCM, Danette RN, BSN, CCM, Suzanne RN, MSN, CCM, CRRN). It’s typically a 5-day course, but she was able to condense it into a 2-day training. The TCM nurses had positive attitudes and were willing to help in any way possible. They went above and beyond to ensure business needs were met by putting in extra hours before and after the training to keep up with their cases. While UR was able to catch up and didn’t end up needing their help, everyone rose to the occasion to help. Plus, now they’re trained if UR should need assistance again at some point. It was a huge team effort and a prime example of working together for the organization. Meet the Telephonic Case Managers who stepped up to the challenge: [gallery ids="https://blogs.coventrywcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Haley.jpg|Haley RN, CCM,https://blogs.coventrywcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Nikole.jpg|Nikole RN, BSN,https://blogs.coventrywcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/carla.jpg|Carla RN, CCM,https://blogs.coventrywcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Danette.jpg|Danette RN, BSN, CCM,https://blogs.coventrywcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Suzanne.jpg|Suzanne RN, MSN, CCM, CRRN" columns="5"] We wanted to introduce the following Coventry NT24 Nurses to you because we admire their spirit and passion for nursing, and the never-ending stream of positivity and encouragement they offer their injured workers and co-workers alike. They were kind enough to share their insights on working remotely, their biggest challenges, and some personal stories. Enjoy! Lorena RN, BSN, Coventry NT24 [caption id="attachment_1667" align="alignleft" width="196"] Lorena RN, BSN[/caption] Lorena RN, BSN, has been a nurse for 23 years. She came to Coventry in 2008 to help launch the NT24 – Nurse Triage program. She is bilingual, English-Spanish speaking, and currently learning Italian. Lorena is also full of life and vigor, which is a perfect fit for her as the NT24 Charge Nurse since the program is about constant change and growth. When asked what challenges she faces working virtually, Lorena shared her biggest challenge is providing genuine comfort to the injured worker over the phone. Sometimes they’re scared and not sure what to do. She said in-person visits allows for physical touch and eye contact to reassure someone. Lorena relies on the tone of her voice and her selection in words to provide comfort over the phone. She became a nurse to make a difference, and she gets that satisfaction by providing guidance and comfort through the NT24 program. Elva RN, Supervisor, Coventry NT24 [caption id="attachment_1671" align="alignleft" width="203"] Elva RN[/caption] Elva RN, has been a nurse since 1991. She came to Coventry in 2008 to help pioneer the NT24 –Nurse Triage program. Her teammates say she is a “fireball” and that she loves life and loves people. She shared that “being a nurse is being a servant; we serve with heart.” Elva said the NT24 program is nursing of the future. It requires wisdom and compassion. But since being on the phone is different than being face-to-face with someone, showing compassion looks different than it would for an in-person visit. It’s a very cerebral job and requires a lot of critical thinking. She learned from working in critical care units that you don’t just treat the patient, you impact other aspects of their life too, including their family members’ emotions. Elva believes that you must remember to show compassion and concern for the patient’s needs outside of their immediate health. Erika BSN, RN, Coventry NT24 [caption id="attachment_1672" align="alignleft" width="176"] Erika BSN, RN[/caption] Erika BSN, RN, has been a nurse for 6 years. She started at Coventry 1.5 years ago. Her 2-year-old son was born prematurely; he stayed in the NICU for 4 months. That’s when she heard about NT24 nursing. Being able to work remotely has been a blessing because her son requires a lot of care. Erika loves taking care of people and keeping them safe. Her biggest challenge to virtual nursing is making sure the injured workers are getting treatment right away. [caption id="attachment_1674" align="alignright" width="174"] Erika and her husband[/caption] Since she can’t be there to help, she makes sure they’re safely directed as timely as possible. As a former Emergency Room (ER) nurse, she takes pride in her triage role. She can help ERs from getting crowded with people who don’t need emergency attention by directing them to the proper channel of care. Offering telemedicine can also help keep people safe and limit unnecessary exposure. Thanks again to our wonderful nurses for sharing their stories and doing what they do to help others and keep us safe.
Happy Nurses Month!