Kenneth H. Brereton
February 2015
Kenneth
Brereton
,
RN
4CD
VA Hudson Valley Health Care System
Montrose
,
NY
United States

 

 

 

Nurse manager Kenneth H. Brereton RN is credited with improving the quality of patient care and the morale of staff on 4CD. Good management didn't go unnoticed or unappreciated as three nurses on his unit nominated him for the DAISY Award. The following random quotes from these write ups explain the extraordinary qualities Kenneth's staff nominated him for.
Kenneth has provided visions of hope for his staff through his ongoing efforts to promote shared governance on his unit. When issues arise Ken brings the issue to his staff for consulting and opinion. This helps to develop a shared problem solving approach which has strengthened 4CD as a cohesive unit. He is very fair, understanding, and involved with his staff, having more staff meetings and encouraging communication among shifts.
He is seen as a guiding light; implementing higher standards of care by incorporating compassion into treatment plans. Kenneth's focus is patient centered care and advocacy for patients' rights. He is the first to show up and attempt to talk to the patient when de-escalating is needed to prevent a potentially dangerous situation. No problem is ever too big for Ken to manage and he has had a tremendous calming effect on an often hectic unit.
Kenneth's co-workers see him both as a team leader and active team member. As a leader he is a credible and competent liaison between doctor, staff and patients; handling situations in a diplomatic, positive way, always smiling. Kenneth goes out of his way to provide adequate staff, to make the unit a safe place to work. He's been known to take new nurses under his wings for days as they adjusted to the hectic routine of the unit. On many occasions he would stay late after work when he thinks a patient might give the staff trouble. Ken provides opportunities for continuing education and encourages his staff to better themselves through education. As a team member, Kenneth has been willing to work on the unit in any capacity, at any time, if his staff requests assistance.
Kenneth's fair and positive leadership is seen by his co-workers as the best thing that happened to 4CD.