July 11, 2014

RE: Pam Heinke, RN, BSN, OCN

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter of recommendation in regards to Pam Heinke. It is with absolute
pleasure and enthusiasm that I recommend Pam to be credentialed as a Level III RN
according to the University of Colorado Hospitals UEXCEL professional clinical ladder.
I have had the privilege of working with Pam for the last five years on the Bone Marrow
Transplant and Oncology/Medicine Unit: for two years Pam served in the CNA/ ACP
role, and for the last three years as an RN. During Pams employment here, I have served
as her primary preceptor, Permanent Charge Nurse, and now am proud to say her peer, as
she has recently transitioned to the Permanent Charge Nurse role.

As Pams primary preceptor, I knew immediately that she was an extraordinary nurse. I
personally witnessed her extreme compassion for patients and families as well as her
passion for nursing. Pam is a nurse who consistently goes above and beyond for her
patients in her bedside care and advocacy. Her innate ability to connect with patients is
more than evident in the rapport she establishes with each of them. Pams holistic
approach elucidates nursing theory and reminds us that nursing is truly an art. Her service
excellence is a self-driven initiative that she consistently implements simply because it is
the right thing to do. Pams incredibly strong work ethic, positive can-do attitude, flexible
response to change, and innovative solutions to improve the status-quo are just some of
the qualities that demonstrate how Pam lives out the Magnet Model and truly is a role
model Level II RN. Pam was born to be a nurse.

It is with awe and admiration that I have witnessed Pams professional growth and
accomplishments as an RN, excelling in leadership, professional engagement, and the
application of evidence-based practice. Our unit has faced a great amount of change this
past yearwe all know that while change brings progress, it also creates a lot of
unwelcomed challenges. Doubling the size of our unit led to a large amount of new staff,
especially CNAs and ACPs who were forced to train quickly under chaotic
circumstances. Nurses previous frustrations with the lack of consistency in care provided
by CNAs/ ACPs heightened, not to mention CNAs/ ACPs were frustrated and
camaraderie seemed extinct. Pam met these challenges with the strategic solution of
starting a unit-based CNA/ACP council that gave this group a voiceit gave them the
opportunity to meet regularly in order to express concerns and frustrations, establish peer
support, elicit discrepancies in training, and receive standardized education. Changes that
have stemmed from this Council include consistent precepting with standardized training,
increased CNA/ACP recognition, improved interdisciplinary RN-CNA/ACP
collaboration, enhanced ACP utilization for designated skills, and most importantly,
improved patient care! Our CNAs and ACPs look to Pam as a strong, approachable
leader who will advocate for an improved work environment. Her leadership has
promoted work satisfaction, positive and hard-working staff, and improved workforce
retention. It is very evident that the implementation of a unit-based CNA/ACP Council
has led to measurable improvements. Pam is currently collecting data to measure these
specific outcomes.

While working hard as the leader of this new Council, Pam was promoted to the
Permanent Charge Nurse role. This role transition seemed very natural to hershe
already had the leadership qualities, and she embraced the challenge of new
responsibilities. Pam is looked up to as a strong resource on our unit as well as an
advocate for both our patients and staff. In addition, she frequently serves as preceptor to
new graduate nurses and exhibits patience and effective teaching in this role. Pam has
commented numerous times how her engagement in her career and professional
development has led to personal fulfillment, and she loves her job because of it. I think
this is an important take-home message and an impressionable statement for her co-
workers to look up to.

In summary, Pams compassion and exemplary nurse practice, professional
accomplishments, dedication to innovative and evidence-based practice, strong leadership
skills, and professional engagement are just a few of her many attributes that make her an
extremely strong candidate to successfully credential to UEXCEL Level III RN. Please
feel free to contact me for any additional information.

Sincerely,



Beth Tupta, RN, BSN, OCN
Permanent Charge Nurse, University of Colorado Hospital
Blood and Marrow Transplant and Oncology/Gynecological Oncology/Medicine Unit
(262)-385-0883