Advocate Picks Sherman Nurse For 'Nurse Of The Year'

BARRINGTON, IL — Local nurse Rachel Davy, who specializes in oncology at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, was selected as a 2023 Nurse of the Year.

“Rachel is an excellent nurse and teacher with an incredibly generous spirit,” said Mary Roesch, Chief Nursing Officer at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. “Even on dark days, she is a
ray of sunshine and constant source of comfort and compassion for her patients and her team. We’re so grateful for her many talents and her efforts to elevate the practice of nursing here at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital.”

As an oncology nurse, Rachel meets patients at a critical point in their life-facing cancer diagnosis and treatment – with the singular goal of helping each person feel valued, supported,
and heard. She uses the same approach as a team leader, focusing on rallying her team through challenges, practicing gratitude and sharing her expertise and skills to improve patient care, according to a news release.

“I love nursing, but it can also be really hard," Davy said. “Each day before work, I say a prayer in the parking lot for strength to help me through the day. As a nurse, you wear
a lot of hats – communicator, coach, and caregiver – and it’s a team sport. Everyone here comes to the hospital ready to work hard and help one another, all with a good sense of humor, and that’s why I appreciate my team at Advocate Good Shepherd so much.”

Rachel loves to learn, and she helps onboard and train new hires, leads nursing simulations to help keep skills sharp, and is pursuing her master’s degree in nursing education. Her favorite
moment is when she helps spark a lightbulb of understanding for her patients, their family members, or fellow teammates, despite the complexities inherent in medicine and health care.

Inspired to pursue a career in health care when her sister got sick as a child, Rachel credits her faith and her sister’s unflagging resilience and strength in the face of life-long health challenges with fueling her passion for nursing.

“Advocate Health nurses deliver exceptional, evidence-based and equitable care to help all patients live fully," said Jane Dus, chief nursing officer of Advocate Health-Midwest region. "However, it’s their ability to bring their most authentic selves to work each day that lets us bear witness to the compassionate and driven individuals they are. It is a true honor to celebrate this excellence in action.”

Over 750 nominations for this premier award were received on behalf of nurses from a variety of specialties across the patient care continuum. These frontline nurses represent diversity
in their backgrounds and experiences, including honorees with decades of experience and others new to the profession yet already making an impact on their patients, colleagues and communities.

Nominations were submitted by clinicians and teammates and reviewed by peer committees for blinded judging according to each nominee’s passion for patient care, commitment to service,
solution-oriented abilities and evidence-based practice, according to a news release.