University of Wyoming faculty and students work with "preceptors" - nurses who mentor our students in a variety of clinical settings. The Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing, in an effort to recognize preceptors--especially those who go above and beyond--presents an award annually to a preceptor in those UW School of Nursing programs with clinical components. Students nominate preceptors for these awards.
The preceptor chosen from the BRAND program is Nikki Packer, who works for Lander Regional Hospital. The student who nominated our winner said the following:
Nikki Packer is a very skilled, knowledgeable nurse, but more importantly she is able to successfully translate her nursing process to her students. She is very deliberate about taking time to teach, demonstrate, and impart her nursing knowledge and skills. She frequently took time to model all aspects of excellent nursing, including looking up pathophysiology and disease processes on patients, as well as looking up latest evidence-based practices--and teaching me to do the same.
We had several complex patients while I worked in ICU, and Nikki never shied away from opportunities to teach me hands-on skills, even though it took a lot of extra time in our already hectic days. She would frequently quiz me on things like, why this procedure? Why this med? What do I need to watch for according to this lab value? She really introduced me to how to put the whole process together. I sincerely hope she will be recognized for her incredible dedication to this mentoring profession.
– BRAND student 2015, Julie Ferwerda
The School of Nursing announced the award at the annual Nightingale Ceremony on the University of Wyoming campus in the fall.