April 21, 2014

Good Samaritan Firestarters has named Colleen Richter RN its No. 1 Team Member of the Year for 2013.

Colleen of the Good Samaritan PACU has been instrumental in implementing Patient Safety initiatives for the unit. She worked with other departments to develop a database to identify risk factors for corneal abrasion, then analyzed the data and developed an intervention.

Her research database development has resulted in a dramatic decrease in corneal abrasions after general anesthesia.

Colleen also has been active in helping to educate nurses, and her dedication to nursing excellence doesn't stop at the hospital doors. While on vacation in West Virginia, she gave chest compressions to a waiter who went into cardiac arrest. The waiter survived and was able to thank her for her live-saving action.

The evening in the PACU is often a place where the patient condition changes rapidly. Colleen's commitment to patient care and safety and her willingness to go the extra mile have resulted in superior patient care. Colleen has saved lives in her years at the PACU.