Nick Brown, CNA, wins 1A Peer Award

Bayhealth Medical Center Certified Nursing Assistant Nick Brown is the winner of the 1A Peer Award at Kent General Hospital.  Three times each year, 1A staff members nominate their peers, and the award winner is selected by the 1A nursing manager and clinical coordinators.  The award recognizes outstanding patient service and teamwork.

"His dedication, his commitment, and his uplifting personality have not only ensured the best patient care, but have helped us create a great work environment for everybody in 1A," said 1A Nurse Manager Dianne Halpern, RN, MSN, CNML.  "Nick makes the unit better for all of us."

Halpern notes that the best judges for a "peer award" are those who rely on Nick Brown each day.  His peers are all effusive in their phrase and unanimous in their view that Brown has become a role model for others in the scant six months since he graduated from Delaware Technical and Community College's Certified Nursing Assistant Program and began his Bayhealth career on the 1A overnight shift.

During nominations, peers spoke about Brown's empathy and understanding of patients.  The peers noted how his "quiet manner" and "soft-spoken tone" comforts and calms patients during their difficult times.  They say he never loses sight of the patient's privacy and dignity.  And, they agree he has elevated his entire department in 1A.

"A nurse cannot be with all of her patients at one time, so the CNA is the eyes, ears, and hands of the nurse.  In that respect, Nick has been invaluable and has helped us provide the best possible patient care," said Halpern.

 For his part, Brown is grateful that his tenure as a nursing assistant has given him the opportunity to serve others and to provide him vital experience, as he considers a future nursing career.   He graciously credits his entire team for winning the 1A Peer Award.

"I feel very touched by (this award).  I feel like every one of my teammates earned this.  Everyone works great together.  It's a great team environment and everybody likes being there," said Brown.

Bayhealth Medical Center's mission is to improve the health status of all members of the Bayhealth community.  Central and Southern Delaware's largest healthcare system, Bayhealth is comprised of Kent General and Milford Memorial Hospitals, Middletown Medical Center and numerous satellite facilities.  Bayhealth was ranked Best in Delaware for Cardiac Surgery by HealthGrades 2009 and was recognized by J.D. Power and Associates for the third year for providing an "Outstanding Inpatient Experience."  Bayhealth is a technologically advanced not-for-profit healthcare system employing over 2,900 with a medical staff of 455 physicians.  Bayhealth is a member of the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Network and an affiliate of the University of Pennsylvania Health System - Penn Cardiac Care.  In the 2009 fiscal year, Bayhealth recorded 75,916 emergency department visits, 17,168 patients admitted to beds and 2,211 births.  Last year, as part of its mission, Bayhealth provided more than $33.6 million in unreimbursed care to patients.