Nursing is a second career for this nurse, which technically makes nursing administration her third career, but one could say she was destined for this role. Her 20-year nursing career has culminated in her position as Nurse Manager.

She has had many roles and has taken the time to understand each job and what was required to be successful in each role: bedside nurse, charge nurse, and assistant nurse manager. When her heart needed a change, she left the ER world and transitioned to Hospice to provide death with dignity, and again filled the various needs of her new organization. She continued to push herself into greater roles and responsibilities, managing two units concurrently because she was simply the best person for the job. She stepped into her current role as Manager [our department], a 40-bed unit on January 6, 2019, and the changes she has made over the last 6 years are innumerable and invaluable. She learned these skills throughout her life and through her master’s degree in nursing administration from Mount St. Joseph University.

She spends countless hours creating a culture of belonging, inspiration, and excellence. She takes time to handwrite personalized thank-you notes to staff, sharing her gratitude and recognizing and relishing the accomplishments of her team. She has an open-door policy and engages in one-on-one leader rounding to help employees stay connected and find purpose on the unit, matching their desires with appropriate unit projects. Through the act of listening and her desire to make the unit the best work environment possible, she is able to address concerns and care for each staff member. She sees each staff member as a person, sharing in their struggles when needed and celebrating each team member’s wins, often staying late to ensure everyone feels seen, heard, and valued by her.

Her compassion is only one of the reasons she is so deserving of the DAISY Nurse Leader Award. She constantly and consistently cultivates leadership and encourages people to reach their full potential. She acts as a mentor for employees considering advanced degrees and helps her staff grow professionally through encouraging professional certifications. She helps her employees find ways to creatively manage their schedules to balance school and work, writes reference letters and even oversees projects related to capstones and school/work projects. In addition to outside growth, she is constantly helping each employee grow and expand who they are within the world of healthcare. She has a knack for listening to what a person is passionate about and what they enjoy, and pairing those skills with various committees, leadership opportunities, and special projects. They say it is a true leader who can cultivate leadership in others, and she does that on a daily basis. As one of our Shared Leadership Committee Co-Chairs I have been on the receiving end of her mentorship and guidance and can feel my nursing knowledge grow each time we interact.

Her passion, creativity, and attention to detail are visible in all that she does. Others see a problem and look the other way—She leans in and does not stop until she finds a solution, builds consensus and helps others embrace the answer. In addition to constantly listening to and advocating for her staff she understands the importance of our patients and our families. When our organization was considering disbanding our PFAC (Patient Family Advisory Council) it was she who stepped up to chair the project. While she has certainly earned the right to rest on her laurels, that’s just not. She is constantly brainstorming, working on new projects, and improving health care delivery for our patients, family, and staff. She is giving of her time and her talents, and we are simply blessed to have her at the helm.