Mary S. Fay Essence of Nursing Award Finalists

Joan Dorr, BSN, RN, Cardiac Surgery Step Down, Tower 8AB

Joan Dorr's expert patient care skills are matched by her superb teaching skills.

Dorr has oriented and precepted more than 20 new nurses and many nursing students in her nine and a half years at BWH. When she precepted a student as part of a newly created senior practicum in Northeastern University's nursing program in 1998, for example, Dorr set a clear list of objectives and held her student accountable for meeting them.

"She took the everyday kind of acute care nursing and not only met the patient's needs, but she weaved in an experience for an incoming nurse to learn the practice in a way that made the student connected and committed to the profession in an excited way," said Martha Griffin, PhD, CS, RN, who taught the Nursing Practicum Course at the time. "You could tell that Joan loved direct patient care and was committed to transferring that love to the student."

Dorr has declined positions that involve less direct patient care because spending time with patients is what she loves most.

"Everything Joan does and doesn't do is about her patient," said 8AB Nurse Manager Alison Gilmore, MSN, RN. "She is a stellar nurse and truly exemplifies what every patient hopes their nurse will be."

Recently, Dorr wrote about her love for nursing in a clinical narrative. "I try first thing in the morning to make contact, some kind of contact, with my patient, shake hands, touch a shoulder, and in some way, let them know that I am going to listen, advocate and teach. I will do whatever it takes to win my patient's trust or confidence. I consider it an honor to be with these people at this moment in their lives."

Dorr welcomes new nurses to 8AB with this same dedication. "Joan is there to teach the skills, tasks, policies and procedures," Gilmore said. "But she is also there to be sure that the nurse is included during lunch and introduces them to the rest of the team. She may even invite her orientee for a glass of wine after a long day to reflect on how things are going and to brainstorm together on how to move the orientation forward."

Dorr joined BWH in 1998 as a staff nurse on the Cardiac Step Down Unit. She previously was a staff nurse at Youville Lifecare in Cambridge. She has a BSN from Regis College.

Joan Dorr was nominated by Martha Griffin, PhD, CS, RN, program coordinator in the Center for Nursing Excellence.