The selection process for choosing the Employee of
the Month is serious business and is never taken lightly. We
compile, confer and debate potential candidates and only after
hours of discussion do we make a final decision. In 2010 we have decided
to use one of our 11 Core Values as a determination for selecting an
employee each month. And since we only have 11 values, and 12 months,
December will be saved for selecting the Employee of the Year. This
employee will be chosen from one of the 11 selected during the previous
months and should exemplify all our core values.
Please join us in
recognizing the following employees for a “job well done!”
Integrity was the core value of choice when selecting
Betty, our January Employee of the Month. Betty is one of our most
educated nurses and is currently working on her PHD. She brings "best
practice" knowledge to CNS while assisting our management team with
updates on charting, pain management and more to ensure we maintain our
reputation as one of the best at what we do. Like many of our nurses,
Betty has developed a close relationship with her client and family but
what sets her apart, and displays integrity, is her ability to walk that
very fine line and maintain her objectivity as a professional nurse. So
thank you Betty for your professional contribution and congratulations
on this mark of distinction.
We used the core value “Respect” when making our
selection for this months employee of the month and our absolute first
choice was Jan McWayne, nurse extraordinaire. Jan has most definitely
earned the respect from all the clients and families she serves and in
return, has shown them the upmost respect as well. For the families that
are fortunate enough to have Jan caring for their children, they will
all say that Jan is simply...the best of the best. We have been asked by
many of them to please find a way to clone her and while we haven’t yet
figured that one out, we have tried to spread the wealth and send her to
as many clients as her schedule allows. Currently, she is oriented in 8
homes. Jan has worked for CNS from the get-go while also holding down a
full time position in the PICU at OHSU. Honestly...there is not one
thing that we can say about Jan that is not absolutely glowing. We thank
our lucky stars that Jan has chosen to work for CNS!! So thank you Jan
for being simply “perfect” and...for all you do.
The core value used to select the March Employee of
the Month was communication. Communication is so important when working
in a home care setting and Laura Piedmont has done E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G
to insure that her lines of communication with the families of the
clients she cares for are wide open. She has attended every care
conference scheduled for her clients and has offered feedback whenever
asked. She communicates her concerns, although not to often, and is
always sending written words of appreciation to the office staff for a
“job well done”. Previous to CNS, Laura worked in Hospice and brings to
our organization a wealth of knowledge and compassion. So
congratulations Laura and thanks a bunch for all you do!
April Commitment to Keeping Families
Together Deb
Deluca
“Commitment to Keeping Family’s Together”; keeping
children at home and strengthening families was the core value we used
to select Deb Deluca, our April Employee of the Month. Deb has always
poured her heart and soul into caring for her clients and has taken a
leadership role in coordinating not only the child’s needs but also the
needs of the family. She has assisted the parents in finding education
opportunities for their children and when they’re unable to attend
school, Deb brings school to them. She is so creative in her thinking
and when it comes to her clients...the sky’s the limit. She encourages
families to take their kids on outings even though it means more work
for her. And usually it does. But Deb wants her clients to have every
opportunity to live a normal life and engage in activities, just like
other children their age. She has been known to adapt a board game so
that her client can move the playing piece themselves. Just one example
of many. So congratulations Deb and thanks for going above and beyond to
make life a bit more enjoyable for the clients and families you serve.
Providing a positive work experience was this months core
value used to select the May Employee of the Month. Some of the
descriptive words used to describe this core value are recruit, train,
develop, strive for excellence, utilize growth opportunities and service
enhancement. And that is precisely why we selected Erica Hill. She is
always and forever looking for ways to better serve her clients and
their families. She educates herself on what if takes to provide the
specialized care including learning sign language so that she can better
communicate with her clients. Erica has been a preceptor since the
programs inception and when we have a CNS nurse that has difficulty
learning a particular task...we have them spend time with Erica and most
often that’s all it takes. Erica has taken on the primary nurse role
more than once and takes this leadership role very seriously. So
congratulations Erica on an honor well deserved!
High value client
care defines our June Employee of the Month, Elaine Willbanks. She is
one of our most considerate and compassionate nurses and is always
looking for ways to ease the families everyday burdens. She goes above
and beyond whenever asked and has recently agreed to accompany a CNS
family on a three week vacation to the east coast. She currently cares
for four of our children which means that often she is asked to
rearrange her schedule to appease others. Which she always accepts
without incident. She first came to CNS as a per diem employee, moved to
part time and now works full time-plus which is a testament to her
commitment to the organization. She is extremely complimentary of CNS
and spreads the word to others about the good work we do. A little side
note about Elaine. When we phoned to let her know about this award, she
was extremely flattered and shared with us that she had never before
been selected as an employee of the month. And...couldn't wait to share
the good news with her family. An honor not only well deserved but well
received. Thanks bunches Elaine for all you do to make us better at what
we do!
Teamwork was this
month’s core value used to select Karen Burkholder, our July
Employee of the Month. She works in a home where one nurse
provides care for two clients...which in of itself requires
teamwork...and she appreciates the challenge of managing and
caring for two clients at one time. Karen takes two CNS clients
to school and works closely with two separate school districts
with teaching and delegating client care. We respect and
appreciate that Karen has an opinion about matters that occur in
the homes and are grateful that she helps us problem-solve. So
for all that you do for CNS and our clients...thank you Karen
and...congratulations on an honor well deserved.
LeAnn
Teixeira, our August Employee of the Month is no stranger to
this award. In fact she has received it twice before, this being
her third, within the past three years. But when we were looking
through our list of potential recipients who exemplified the
principles of partnership and all it encompasses, we kept
referring back to LeAnn. Regardless of what’s asked of her,
LeAnn handles all situations with a positive approach. She
recognizes that her colleagues have qualities, strengths and
resources that benefit the well being of our clients and is
always willing to listen to their suggestions and advice. She
will collaborate with others, families and nurses, to find a
win-win solution to ongoing issues and/or concerns. LeAnn
spreads herself thin...she cares for a client at school, takes
after hours call for CNS, sits on our Professional Policy Making
committee and fills in for our clinical team during their time
away. LeAnn is a true CNS supporter and we are truly blessed by
her contribution to the organization. Thank you LeAnn for all
that you are and all that you do!
