Ellen is by far one of the best leaders I have had the pleasure to work with. She is consistently willing to champion new processes and clarify it for ease of use by all staff. She encourages me to reach my full potential within and outside this organization.

I mentioned that I was looking at getting my certification and was thinking of doing a master’s program. She was willing to have a long conversation with me about how I can apply the work that I am doing to different master’s degree programs. She has told me on numerous occasions that her door is always open if I ever want to discuss or help compare different available programs.

As a first-generation college graduate from an ADN program, I appreciate that kind of support more than she is probably aware. She just does this out of the kindness of her heart and her genuine care for our development as nurses. She also has a wealth of knowledge in other nursing areas and is happy to share her knowledge about her areas of expertise, such as KFRC nursing.

She is always the leader I can go to vent to and will either talk me off a ledge or help me fix the problem. Sometimes it's just that I need to be upset, get my feelings out, and see it from another angle. She will make me feel better, then help me view it another way. Oftentimes, I have the solution already, but just needed someone to hear my frustration.

The way she speaks to patients is phenomenal. I will have patients who need a service recovery, and it may not even be from our department. She will reach out to the appropriate leadership team, but also help me continue on my day by taking over this task and speaking with them directly about the next steps for their issue.

When I know I am going to be stepping into a room with a patient who has been angry with KP, I will let her know and she often times will come with me so that 1) I am not mistreated, 2) I can discuss the discharge plan with them, and 3) so that I can leave in a timely manner and not be delayed in getting the rest of my work done. This way, the patient can feel heard and seen with their grievances or if they want to argue, they can argue with her whilst I complete the other tasks. This allows them to be able to troubleshoot further with the options I have provided, and I can continue to be of service to others.

I especially love that she always wants to learn. She will try to help where she can, but if she does not know how, she is willing to be taught and write it down and later seek opportunities to practice. That is invaluable in a department where our specialty is difficult to understand and apply. She is always looking to expand her knowledge and her role as a manager.