Sycamore Medical Center—Ellen Wheatcraft

Ellen Wheatcraft has been a Registered Nurse for four years and has worked all those years at Sycamore Medical Center, where she is currently a Staff Nurse in the ICU East Unit. Her weekend crew gave her the nickname, “Beautiful Butterfly,” because they watched her develop into a strong, knowledgeable asset as a co-worker through continued education to become the best nurse for her patients. Her innovation and concern for patients sparked the idea of making activity boxes (e.g., coloring books, books for reading, cards, etc.) for those patients who were bored. Another time, she had dolls made for confused patients who wanted to care for someone. With members of her church, she facilitated the donations of comfort-care quilts to dying patients in the ICU.  Called trustworthy and competent, Ellen has had perfect attendance and is always willing to help a co-worker with shift changes if needed. She has served on many committees and is currently the chairperson of her unit council. Her innovation and collaboration have increased safety for patients and staff. She is currently working on a project that will help staff recognize, stage, and document pressure ulcers and help reduce the number of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers in ICU. Ellen earned her BSN from Wright State University and her MSN from Ohio University. She is a Critical Care Registered Nurse.