1. May 1st
, 2015
I have had the pleasure of working with Nakia Thomas, RN as she completed her Bachelor’s of Nursing at
Indiana Wesleyan University and her CapstoneProject on the Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit at Cincinnati
Children’s HospitalMedical Center. Initially Nakia came to our unit as a graduate nurse with an Associate Degree in
Nursing and proceeded through the BMT new graduate nurse program. As theBMT orientation is an eighteen to
twenty week course of classroom and clinical study experience there are multiple preceptors involved and a primary
preceptor for each new graduate nurse. I was the primary preceptor for Nakia and we spent a great deal of time in one
on one direct clinical care experiences. During this period I was able to observe Nakia’s work pattern, communication
techniques, learning style and personalinteractions with patients, families and staff.
Her strong work ethic and empathetic approach impressed me then and continued to do so in her recent
Capstonework on resiliency. Her care of BMT patients and their families were positiveand powerfulexamples of the
daily contributions Nakia made on the inpatient BMT unit. She consistently looked for the person behind thediagnosis
and tailored their care to not just meet but exceed patient and family expectations. She understood thestrength of
teamwork and easily worked with a variety of disciplines and personalities when addressing problem solving and ways
to move BMT patient care and outcomes forward.
Along with her commitment to patient care Nakia brought an easy and compassionate approach to the care of
our more emotionally challenging patients. This mix of intellect, compassion and integrity speaks to the balance that
she brought to thebedside and the positiverole model she provided to fellow colleagues.
During her recent CapstoneProject work she fulfilled all time and content building requirements focusing on resiliency
building for the inpatient nursing and ancillary staff. She developed a pre-education and post education survey to gauge
staff perceptions and knowledge base relating to stress, burnout and resiliency. The data from this survey was used to
target and build an educational presentation on resiliency. She thoroughly researched and developed a professional
presentation for theinpatient staff and worked with our unit educators, clinical staff and CCHMC house-wide
resiliency liaison lead.
She was punctualwith all meeting times, flexible with new material and requirements and receptive to
constructive feedback. The resiliency project was well received as evident with a greater than 90% post survey
feedback from staff. The resiliency program for the inpatient BMT staff is continuing today on the lead work and
foundation that Nakia and the resiliency team carefully and thoughtfully built.
The care that Nakia puts into her care -giving whether at the bedside, or into staff education is much
appreciated and consistently noted. She will be a welcome and valued addition to any unit who is fortunateenough to
have her on staff. I look forward to hearing about new professionalopportunities, nursing positions and continued
success for Nakia, as she continues in her nursing career.
Sincerely,
Annamarie Borich MSN, RN
Blood and Marrow Transplant
Cincinnati Children’s
HospitalMedical Center
annamarie.borich@cchmc.org