[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 116 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S9443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      WEST VIRGINIAN RECEIVES VA 1996 EXCELLENCE IN NURSING AWARD

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, on June 6 of this year, the 
Department of Veterans Affairs presented four very prestigious awards 
recognizing excellence in nursing. I am proud to congratulate all of 
these nurses, but I am especially proud of a fellow West Virginian, 
Sharon Shade, the recipient of VA's 1996 LPN of the year award. 
Sharon's performance in the nursing home care unit of the Martinsburg, 
VA Medical Center is truly outstanding. As a member of the Martinsburg 
community, she has made a great difference.
  Sharon has made many changes, both big and small, that have improved 
the lives of her patients. Because she works with the patients on a 
one-on-one basis, she learns about their interests while determining 
their needs. For example, she found out that a reclusive patient had an 
interest in music. With her help and encouragement, he began to DJ at 
the noon meals and is now a thriving member of the high-level 
communication group. A bedridden patient now joins the noon dining 
group with the help of a walker, due to Sharon's special attention. 
These are just a few examples of the changes Sharon has made in the 
lives of individual patients.
  Sharon is truly creative and original in her approach to care, with 
ideas that benefit the entire program. One of her more innovative 
techniques includes an Adopt-A-Plant program. Here patients can adopt a 
plant to take care of, giving them a sense of hope. Another program 
includes a reminiscence group in which the patients talk about days 
gone by. Sharon also arranged to move wheelchair-bound patients nearer 
to the windows in the dining hall where they can get a better view of 
the outdoors. These simple, yet thoughtful acts have made an enormous 
difference in the overall morale of both the residents and staff.
  Sharon is known for her dedication to her profession. She is 
constantly working to make things better for her patients and for the 
staff. In addition to attending meetings and training seminars, she 
took initiative in developing her own survey to evaluate the program. 
To lend support to her coworkers, she has implemented a monthly 
restorative LPN meeting where she shares ideas and literature. She is 
praised by fellow members of the staff, her patients, and their 
families for her tireless efforts. The human spirit needs support and 
encouragement, both of which Sharon has generously given.
  I am proud to recognize Sharon Shade and her remarkable talent for 
making the lives of the veterans at Martinsburg better. It is clear 
that Sharon is a valuable asset to her staff, her profession, her 
patients, and our State of West Virginia. Her commitment to her 
profession and her community makes me enormously proud to say that she 
is a fellow West Virginian.

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