LA GRANDE — Sarah Hancock, a Grande Ronde Hospital intensive care unit nurse, didn’t have a stethoscope in hand but she knew her heart was racing.

Hancock was at her parents’ home in Mount Vernon watching an Oregon Center for Nursing webinar when she learned that her legacy had been forever defined. The Oregon Center for Nursing announced that Hancock had been named one of the 10 best Oregon nurse preceptors for 2021.

“I was elated. My heart was beating so fast,” said Hancock, noting that her parents, Dennis and Mary Bradley, at first were concerned because they didn’t know what the commotion was about.

As a preceptor, Hancock is a mentor for those who are early in their nursing careers. Hancock has worked at Grande Ronde Hospital since 2011 and has been a nurse preceptor the past eight years, serving as a full-time nurse and mentor. Hancock thrives in this dual role, according to Shelby Humphry, the coordinator of the Preceptor Program at GRH. Humphry noted that Hancock was an outstanding mentor even before she was officially a preceptor.

“Sarah has been the go-to for questions for our entire second floor for 11 years,” Humphry said.

Hancock dispenses advice in a setting where people are made to feel comfortable about communicating and inquiring.

“She encourages an environment of learning and collaborations and offers her knowledge and encouragement to all who ask,” Humphry said.

A welcome approach

Hancock said she strives to be receptive to questions regardless of the circumstances.

“I’ve always been willing to answer questions in any situation,” she said. “I try to create a culture that is open, inviting and welcoming.”

Hancock said that when teaching her less experienced colleagues she uses the same approach for all of them before determining what type of learner they are.

“I follow a common path until I see how they learn,” she said, noting that some are hands-on learners while others are visual learners.

Hancock has been a health care provider for 22 years overall. She was a certified nursing assistant the first 11 years of her career before entering the Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing, La Grande, more than a decade ago. Hancock said that if not for a substantial scholarship she received from the Ford Family Foundation she might not have been able to attend nursing school.

“That scholarship meant so much to me,” she said.

Hancock graduated in 2011 and since then has worked at Grande Ronde Hospital, aiming throughout to uplift her patients.

“Nobody wants to be there,” she said. “They are going through a difficult time in their lives. I want to ease their anxiety and stress.”

Filling the gap

Humphry wrote in the nomination letter that she is impressed with Hancock’s professionalism and heartfelt concern for her patients.

“She consistently upholds care standards and has an amazing amount of compassion for her patients,” Humphry said.

Hancock said that working as a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a stressful experience. One reason is that those infected often cannot have visitors, so she and other nurses are striving to reach out to these patients to reduce their feelings of loneliness.

“We are trying to bridge the gap,” she said.

Hancock is the only nurse preceptor from Eastern Oregon to make the Oregon Center for Nursing’s top-10 list. She, in the eyes of Humphry, is a role model like few others.

“Sarah is committed to helping others succeed,” Humphry said. “She is the definition of an excellent nurse preceptor.”