November 2009

  Crystal Dobbs
  Registered Nurse 
  Obstetrics

Congratulations to Crystal Dobbs, Registered Nurse in Obstetrics, on being named the recipient of the MDH APPLE Award for November 2009. APPLE stands for "Achieving outstanding Performance in Patient care, Leadership, Loyalty and Enthusiasm for MDH."

Crystal Dobbs attended Spoon River College and was named the Registered Nurse Student of the Year in 2006. Upon graduation, Crystal joined the Obstetrics Department on June 19, 2006. In April 2008, Crystal completed her lactation counseling training, and she passed her Lactation Counselor Certificate Exam. This accomplishment required a lot of hard work, study, and dedication and now enables Crystal to teach the breastfeeding class offered to MDH patients.

Crystal has a charming smile and a warm heart as demonstrated in her considerate patient care and compassion to peers. Crystal is a strong voice for her patients and very much a patient advocate.  She consistently helps her peers, and her excellent computer skills provide a valuable resource for her department. Her major strength is her eagerness to assist the patient in every way possible. She begins and ends each day with enthusiasm and cooperation.

Crystal is a hard worker who is fun to be around. She is friendly and approachable, especially to our students. She has strong communication skills and is very professional. She has good nursing judgment and constantly increases her knowledge by doing research on her own and asking questions of doctors. She demonstrates strong initiative and is a go-getter.

“Wow, there are simply no words to describe my gratitude for Crystal . . . The OB department is full of wonderful women so the fact that Crystal stood out in my eyes says to me that she really deserves this award,” explains a previous patient of Crystal’s. The patient explains that Crystal stayed late to calm her breastfeeding stresses by providing a hug when she was in tears and offering
the patient to call Crystal to vent about her stresses if needed: “Crystal takes her job not as a ‘job’ but as a passion and commitment to others.”

Crystal and her husband, Jerad, have two children, Makalie and Chase. In her spare time, Crystal enjoys scrapbooking. She is also a fan of the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive.