Have you worked with a GOAT in healthcare?

[DesiDani]

Even administration. Tell about the one CNA or RN that you worked with that was top-notch? What made them stand out and has anyone come close?

A little break from the rant threads.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

My GOAT was an LPN I worked with that retired over ten years ago (before they phased out LPNs).  No matter what she was always patient focused and did what she could to advance their care along, and when she said "something's not right" you would go running because she was spot on in her assessments.  

 

[DesiDani]

5 hours ago, Tweety said:

My GOAT was an LPN I worked with that retired over ten years ago (before they phased out LPNs).  No matter what she was always patient focused and did what she could to advance their care along, and when she said "something's not right" you would go running because she was spot on in her assessments.  

 

We had one like that. Apparently he was a doctor in his home country and just didn't have the desire to be one in the US. Eventually my hospital got rid of all LPNs and I think he just retired.

[Bluefamily, MSN]

The "greatest of all time" was a CNA. Before I started my nursing education, I investigated the profession by working as a CNA. Miss A was my informal "preceptor" to show the ropes as a new CNA.  She had been a CNA for 25 years. Her rule of thumb was ,"Don't cut corners-ever. That was when the State comes for inspection, you don't have to remember the correct way to do something." She also showed me how to manage truly difficult patients. She practiced what she preached. She worked hard and made it all fun.

28 bedside years and a Master's degree later, I am still humbled by the time she spent with me. I haven't forgotten my CNA starting point and I am still grateful for the attention she gave me.  

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Oddly enough the GOAT I worked with was in administration.  He was the administrator of the SNF when I started there in 1994. That was my first job in health care and I was under the naive impression that all administration was like that. Sadly I was proven more than wrong after he left.

 

Jeff was amazing. He knew every resident and staff member in the building and actually took the time to stop and talk them. His door was truly open for anybody to come and see him at any time and never said or even gave the impression that he was busy with something else at the time.  He was the first one in the building from management and would jump in and help where he could. He often spent the first couple hours of his day answering call lights, fetching linens, even cooking breakfast a couple of times during a storm  when the morning cook couldn't get in.  Our annual raises were on time and generous, the norm was 6%. I haven't seen that kind of an annual raise since he left. 

 

I was lucky enough to work under his administration for five years before he was promoted and moved onward and upward. Then began the revolving door of upper management, most forgettable or remembered for their lousy management rather than for anything good. In other words, the typical administration yo-yo's we all know and don't love!