June 14th, 2023

Nurse of the Month: Sydney Creekmore

Jen Nicastro, Chief Nursing Officer
Jen Nicastro, Chief Nursing Officer

How did you first learn about Signallamp?

I saw the listing on Indeed, but I had also heard about the company through my former employer.

What do you like the most about your job?

I love being able to work from home, especially because this job provides such great supports to make me feel successful. I have never felt more supported or like there was a truly “open door” policy with team leads and higher-ups than with this job!

What is the best career lesson you have learned so far?

Time management has been a big lesson in this job.

Compared with day one, how has Signallamp grown?

I feel like Signallamp is ALWAYS looking for ways to improve workflows, benefits, etc. They genuinely welcome nurse feedback and are willing to improve every chance available.

If you could select one co-worker to mentor you, who would you pick and why?

Honestly, I am so lucky to work with a wonderful team of nurses at Yale so I would gladly pick any one of them to mentor. They are all the best, each one of them a team-player. They are always reaching out to help each other and to find solutions for one another. I am genuinely thankful for each of them, and I know that a big part of our team’s spirit is because of our great team leader, Brittany L! She is a great team leader, fostering a welcoming environment for us and finding answers to any questions and solutions to any concerns we might have.

What do you like to do when you are not working?

When I’m not working, I love to spend time with my kids. My life is filled with so many wonderful moments – going to concerts, sporting events, coaching T-ball, baking goodies, doing photography, and more, but getting to do them with my family makes them extra special.

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What is a fun fact about you many people may not know?

When I was 17, I was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for cheerleading!

Tell us about the craziest experience you have had with a patient:

My husband and I worked together at a long-term care facility. We had a patient with dementia, and she hated me because she thought she was married to my husband, and I was trying to take him away from her!

Share a success story from your time in CCM:

A Yale patient of mine was pretty much manic. He was calling his therapist multiple times daily, calling me every 30 minutes, and even calling his urology office trying to find someone to talk to about his life. He had recently been through a breakup and the woman lived 4 doors down from his apartment. He felt very lonely and depressed with everything going on. He was not being compliant with his therapy sessions, but I was able to deescalate the situation, getting him to go and attend all his therapy sessions 5 days a week. Finally, the patient stopped excessively calling every resource that he had, and he is now learning how to cope with his emotions and to focus his energy elsewhere. I was also able to get him set up in a volunteer position at a local animal shelter to help keep him busy.