Shirene Allie is a Registered Nurse II in the Med/Surg Unit at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital. Since joining Cleveland Clinic as a new grad RN, she’s had a tremendous impact on many of her patients. In the nearly two years since she’s been a caregiver at Cleveland Clinic, she’s already received a DAISY Award (a prestigious award given based on a nomination by a patient or family member who experiences or observes extraordinary compassionate care being provided by a nurse). 

Before she joined Weston Hospital, Shirene lived overseas in Dubai, UAE for 12 years and was a marketing professional. After relocating to the States and deciding to make a change for a more rewarding career, she began looking into potential opportunities at healthcare organizations and had heard many great things about the medical care at Cleveland Clinic. She was already familiar with the reputation of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Cleveland Clinic London and decided that this was the right place to pursue her career. 

Shirene believes that working in the Med/Surg unit as a new grad provides many benefits. She says, “I think it was a good decision to start on the Med/Surg floor. It definitely throws you in, you get exposed to everything, and it’s pretty fast-paced. You pick it up quickly and you learn time management skills and prioritization. I think it’s the best for anyone that’s starting out.” 

In addition to treating pre-and post-surgery patients on her unit, Shirene enjoys the variety that she sees each day. She says, “We get the full gamut of everything from patients walking from the ED to those moving into a step-down from an ICU and more critical care unit or upgrading to a more critical unit. We deal with a lot of end-of-life care as well.” She also collaborates with other teams such as speech, occupational and physical therapy, and even hospice care. 

During her time at Cleveland Clinic, Shirene has taken pride in showing empathy and compassion to her patients, no matter what circumstances they may have been facing. One of her favorite patients was having a rough time dealing with ongoing complications. She comforted him by listening to his concerns and offering her support.  “Each time that he had to go for a procedure, we would have this talk even when I wasn’t his nurse. We’d sit there and we’d either just listen to music or talk about what’s in the news. It was something really special to me because he was so grateful,” Shirene adds. 

Another thing Shirene is grateful for is the leadership and support provided by her Nurse Manager, Karen Foster. “That’s why this unit runs so well. She sets the tone, and she maintains the tone.” 

Shirene also credits the camaraderie of her unit, which is the biggest floor in Weston Hospital and has the fastest turnaround time. “I think our environment works because of our unit’s cohesion. It’s everyone working together to get through the day and to achieve the goals that we need to.” 

Her advice to new grads? “If you want to put in the time, Cleveland Clinic’s willing to put in the time with you as well. They definitely do promote growth and development. I would recommend them, absolutely all the way, for any new candidate, experienced or a new nurse.”