ABPANC Awards

ABPANC Awards - Advocacy Award Criteria & Application --- 2008 Advocacy Award Recipient and Story --- Examples of Stories - Component Shining Star Criteria & Application --- Component Recipients - Leadership Circle Criteria & Application --- Recipients

ABPANC Announces 2004 Recipient of the ABPANC Advocacy Award

The 4th annual Advocacy Award was presented at the CPAN/CAPA Celebration Breakfast April 19, 2004 to a very surprised Denise Darby, RN, CAPA, Staff Nurse in the Day Surgery Center of Concord Hospital, Concord, New Hampshire.  This award publicly recognizes a CPAN or CAPA certified nurse who exemplifies leadership as a patient advocate and is the highest accolade given to a certified nurse.  Nominated by her peer, Heather B. Smith, BSN, RN.C, CAPA, the following story was submitted describing only one of many instances when Denise truly advocated for a patient and his family.  Denise was presented with the beautiful Lladro Nurse Statue, a $300 cash award, plaque, and a scholarship for the next recertification fee. 

Read the winning story as follows:

The Story

When reading the application for the Advocacy Award, it seemed as though the award was written for my colleague, Denise Darby, RN, CAPA.  She consistently demonstrates the art of advocacy and is a role model for all.  She lives by the moral standard that “every patient deserves respect” and this is evident in her daily experiences with our patients and their families.  Denise has the courage to protect and advocate for her patients, even in the event this is not the popular decision for the majority; her concern is always what is best for the patient.

Recently in the DaySurgeryCenter, we had a single mother of two children come in to have an orthopedic surgical procedure.  Her surgery date had not been confirmed, and she arrived after making arrangements for transportation and childcare with family from out of town.  Denise cared for her and assisted her with rescheduling the surgery since she could not have it as planned.  Denise supported this woman with kind words, empathy and understanding.  ON the day the patient returned for her rescheduled procedure, after again making arrangements for her children, the surgeon was running very far behind on her OR schedule and was considering canceling the case.  On this particular day, anesthesia, due to the late hour that the case was to start, was not going to have a provider available to do this procedure.  This was devastating tot he patient as you can imagine.

Denise immediately intervened on the patient[s behalf and spoke to the surgeon, anesthesia, nursing, the patient, and the patient’s family.  Once Denise explained the situation to the Day Surgery OR staff, they willingly stayed over their require time to do the case.  With her interpersonal skills, advocacy and clinical decision making skills, anesthesia and her surgeon agreed to do the case, and the family accepted the responsibility of caring for her later than anticipated. 

Without Denise Darby, RN, CAPA, this patient would have had to return for a third time to have a procedure done.  In a difficult situation, facing difficult conversations with surgeons and anesthesia, Denise was the mediator and advocate for our patient and it ended with a favorable outcome to all.