AGH CELEBRATES EXTRAORDINARY NURSING WITH THE 1ST QUARTER FISCAL YEAR 2018 DAISY AWARD

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, 1^st 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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