DAISY Award

Rupinder Sandhu, RN, BSN, MBA
Leader Award: Emergency Department

First nomination

I would like to nominate ED Nurse Director, Rupinder Sandhu for a Daisy Award. Rupy has been our Director for over 4 years and her tireless and compassionate work has been an unquestionable inspiration and model to everyone. Rupy started her career during a very vulnerable state of our ED and with her excellence in multidisciplinary approach gave a leap in where we are today. She is not only caring and compassionate to all the staff but also to patients and families. She shares her mission and vision in alignment with that of the hospital and ED that includes not just the direct care ED provides but the societal influence it has.

Rupy is an extraordinary role model for many staff including myself. Her expertise in managing a difficult conversation is one of a kind. She not only role models but inspires others to fearlessly develop superior qualities in having difficult conversation using Just Culture.

Early on in her career here at UCDMC ED, she started a culture of inclusion and modelled catalyzing Unity in diversity. She advocates for a Multicultural team of staff who are competent in providing a multicultural care which aligns with the Principles of Community.

With her leadership, our department is working towards developing a team that upholds accountability and trust. She has proven once again that a professional competence and expertise can be achieved by continued support of one’s professional development. She has been instrumental in developing ED/N1 and ED/SICU programs. By this, right care to the right patient is delivered by the right staff. Also supported TNCC / CPI and other pertaining high quality educational opportunities for all staff. There is ongoing developments in training and education in the coming years.

Her support to bring out the best in the current staff is evident in her creation of Clinical Nurse leader role in the department. She changed the leadership structure and model and is guiding the team for a bigger and better cause of becoming a Lantern award recipient in the near future. She exhibits the qualities of a leader in nursing who value the highest standards in nursing profession.

I cannot think of anyone more deserving than her. I wholeheartedly, nominate Rupinder Sandhu for Daisy Award for Nurse Leader.

Second nomination

I would like to nominate ED Director Rupy Sandhu for the DAISY Nurse Leader Award. Rupy has been the ED Director for almost 4 years. Her tireless work and the compassion she shows for patients, their families, and staff is inspiring to everyone in the department.

During this time, she has demonstrated a commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients and the best possible training and skills for staff. She has organized a series of Rapid Process Improvement Workshops, which bring together the clinical nurses, doctors, trauma technicians, HUSCs and members of ancillary services to assess current workflows, find the gaps and develop solutions. She consistently emphasizes that the front line staff are the experts. They are the ones who know how to best care for our patients. This creates the foundation for a shared vision in the department as staff are now working in environments and with processes that they have helped design.

Rupy has developed a program in a partnership with the North 1 unit and the SICU to bring ICU and medical surgical nurses to the ED to care for admitted patients. The goal of this program is to ensure the right nurse is caring for the right care patient. This demonstrates her commitment to providing the best care possible to all of our patients.

She is working to create an environment of trust and accountability. She has introduced and provided the staff with training opportunities in trauma nursing (TNCC), communication (CPI). This coming year every member of the department will participate in TeamSTEPPS training. This training offers nurses an opportunity to develop the communication and teamwork skills that allow them to continue to grow and develop professionally.

She has created the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role in the department. These individuals are charged with ensuring the highest levels of care are maintained in the ED. The CNLs have worked with the ED Nurse Educator to introduce high fidelity simulation training on a regular basis in the department.

Rupy models the caring and compassionate behavior that is at the heart of nursing. Despite a very busy schedule, she always has time to talk to someone and gives them her full attention. Observing her interactions with staff and patients make it obvious that she genuinely cares for them. The time that she has taken to mentor many of the nurses in the department helps to demonstrate that she takes pride in the work that she and her staff do every day. It also shows that she is firmly committed to continuing to support and grow every nurse in the department.

I am nominating Rupy for the Nurse Leader Daisy award because she exhibits the qualities that make nursing the most trusted profession. Every day she demonstrates her commitment to providing the best care possible to every patient. She is a truly inspiring Nurse leader and I can think of no one more

About the DAISY Award

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses recognizes outstanding members of the nursing community and the very special work they do every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of the extraordinary nursing J. Patrick Barnes received when he was hospitalized. (DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system.) This nursing recognition award program offers patients, families, and professional colleagues a way to honor nurses for all they do. The DAISY awardees consistently demonstrate excellence through their clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care.