Community Hospital’s celebration of Nurses Week culminated with a ceremony to recognize the most outstanding nurse and top patient caregiver, as voted by their co-workers. Carol Mustain, a patient care technician in the Intermediate Care unit, is recipient of the “2015 Patient Caregiver Excellence Award,” and Katie Vroom, registered nurse on Intermediate Care Unit-North has received the “2015 Nursing Excellence Award.”
“Our nurses place the care of our patients first and foremost before anything else we do,” said CEO Don Fesko. “We are proud to have such a dedicated group of outstanding nurses and caregivers making a difference in the lives of our patients.”
Mustain and Vroom were nominated by their peers at the hospital for going above and beyond in their respective patient care areas.
To meet the criteria for the Patient Caregiver Excellence award, the staff member must demonstrate excellence in the areas of Dignity, Compassionate Care, Community, Quality and Stewardship. These standards and values set the foundation for the hospital’s mission to bring quality care to everyone in need.
Mustain, a Munster resident, has worked at Community Hospital for more than 13 years and says she loves to take of others and it shows.
Nurse manager Margaret Stark, RN, said, “Carol is an excellent nursing assistant, who treats our patients like her own family. She is very thorough making sure our patients get the best care possible. She is a great asset to the IMCU West unit and to the hospital.”
Also a Munster resident, Vroom has been working at Community Hospital for five years. Vroom’s manager Jennifer Kulak, RN, BSN, explains, “Katie exemplifies everything that a nurse should be. She is helpful and generous with her time – a very good multitasker. We witness the love she has for her patients, always going that extra mile. She is an inspiration. Her energy and enthusiasm are motivation to nurse assistants and nurses alike.”
“I am proud of all the nurses, certified nursing assistants, patient care technicians and nurse externs who are committed to excellence at Community Hospital,” said Chief Nursing Officer Ronda McKay, DNP, RN, CNS. “Carol and Katie are two wonderful examples of an entire staff that provides compassionate care to our patients, day in and day out.”