My passion lies in supporting patients beyond the hospital walls. When a patient is discharged, they can feel overwhelmed and alone and my goal as a nurse is to help people feel safe, heard, and support them with their recovery ~ CNC Samara Glass, PA Hospital’s Nurse of the Year for inpatient services.
Samara’s dedication to her role as the nursing lead in the Post-Operative Discharge Support Service, alongside a checklist of significant achievements in preventing post-operative re-presentations to emergency department resulted in her standout nomination for one of the top gongs for the 2025 International Nurses Day awards.
And what’s more, her focus on reducing the re-presentation of general surgery patients after discharge has influenced the fluctuations in workload for nurses, preventing misalignment in nursing resources, burnout, and most importantly the comfort and confidence of patients in the days following their journey home.
“Knowing I can ease someone’s worries, guide them toward the right support, or help them feel seen and heard during recovery is an incredible privilege that I take immense pride in,” she said.
“It is all about clinical care and helping the patient find an alternative pathway to be looked after in the capacity they need at the time. Reassurance and being at the end of the phone line is what matters most for this patient group.”
Samara said her role and supporting surgical patients on their journey home truly aligns with her values, a passion which has resulted in a reduction in unplanned ED re-presentations, patient satisfaction and engagement through daily direct messaging, and improved continuity of care and timely post-discharge follow-up.
Her high-level hospital-wide review of systems and processes enabled benchmarking practices with other hospitals, identified increases in high-complexity patients and delivered informed recommendations for improved nursing allocation and documentation for safer care.
Overall, Samara’s impact has been significant which is the embodiment of the strategic intent of Metro South Health and demonstrates what’s possible when clinical leadership, data, and innovation come together.
“I love being a nurse, and I wouldn’t be in this position without my incredible colleagues who continue to inspire me every day and who have mentored and grown my passion in nursing.”