Daisy winner came to nursing in her second act, but it’s her dream job.
By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org
Dawn Rodriguez likes numbers and is good at math, so it made sense to her as a young person to get a degree in accounting, then move into the field as a professional.
And that’s exactly what she did for 15 years. On the side, she indulged her creative interests by operating an in-home bakery. When circumstances changed and she was faced with a career crossroads, her husband suggested maybe she should embrace her first love – nursing.
“So, here I was in my 30s going to nursing school,” she said.
The mother of three worked and went to school for several years before landing her dream job – PICU nurse at Riley Hospital for Children. In that time, she has continued baking for weddings, birthdays and other celebrations, for the sheer joy of it.
For 10 years, she has worked the night shift in the PICU, only recently transitioning to a Monday-Friday dayshift job as a nurse navigator in neurosurgery. She continues to work PRN on weekends in the PICU because she couldn’t give it up entirely.
Over the years, she has received multiple nominations for the DAISY award for her compassionate care and clinical skills, but she was surprised with her first DAISY win during her last week in the PICU.
“For the award to come on the last week in the PICU is almost like God was reaching out and saying, ‘You have been in the right place for so long and I need to let you know it’s OK to leave it now.’ It was so great; I was ecstatic,” she said.
The move to the neurosurgery team as a nurse navigator aligns nicely with her interests and offers a better work-life balance, she said.
“Neuro patients are some of my favorites, and in this role I can still make a difference for these families and follow patients through treatment when they leave the PICU. I still get to be a part of their care.”
The family who recommended her for the DAISY said she provided “extraordinary care” during a frightening stay in the PICU.
“Dawn demonstrated exceptional skill, compassion and unwavering professionalism. Over the course of an incredibly overwhelming situation, her calm demeanor and reassuring presence helped carry me through some of the hardest moments I have ever faced as a parent.”
It should come as no surprise then to hear Rodriguez say that this family has been on her mind and heart since the day she took care of them.
“In the ICU, we are there on some of the worst days of a parent’s life, and seeing this family rally around this patient was amazing,” Rodriguez said. “I was so honored to take care of her and loved knowing I was making a difference for them.”
Rodriguez, now a grandmother in addition to wife and mom of three, laughs when she acknowledges how she came to nursing later in life.
“People think I’m a lifer (as a nurse), then I tell them I had another whole career before this, but this is my dream career.”
Nominate a nurse who exemplifies excellent clinical skills and compassionate care here.
Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org
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