Care Givers Association honors Robinson

Lake Placid Health Care Center's Brenda Robinson was named Care Giver of the Year by the Florida Professional Association of Care Givers during a convention earlier this month in Winter Haven.

Hired in 1991, Robinson was the late shift cook. She would pull extra shifts as an aide to help out and nurses suddenly realized how valuable she was as a care giver, and convinced her to transfer into nursing full time.

When more staff was added with the 2002 staffing increase legislation, Robinson helped us determine shift needs and develop special positions, assigning associates by their abilities and limitations.

Robinson is now involved in every aspect of Lake Placid Health Care's newly hired CNA's.

She sits in on interviews, organizes their orientation, gives recommendations to the staff development office for their assignments.

Its turnover has decreased from 35 percent to under 15 percent this year.

Robinson also works with the director of nursing and risk manager doing one-on-one training on peri-care, and reviews patient safety with associates whose residents have fallen or received skin tears during their shift. This focus has reduced incidents by 50 percent.

In a nomination letter for the award, management said, "We believe that Brenda's no nonsense 'we can do this' approach sets a standard that our residents and families have come to cherish and expect, and she continues to challenge all staff, from administrator and D.O.N. down, to strive to provide the quality of care our residents deserve."