Pam Assid
August 2020
Pam
Assid
,
DNP, RN, CNS, CEN, CPEN, NEA-BC
Emergency Department
Sky Ridge Medical Center
Lone Tree
,
CO
United States

 

 

 

When you ask Pam's team what they would want someone to know about her, these are some of the things that are said:
"Pam always fights for her team."
"Pam is the most intelligent person I have ever met."
"Pam is trustworthy- you could tell her anything and know that it is in good hands."
"Pam literally knows the answer to any question that I have."
Pam demonstrates extraordinary role-modeling behavior in her everyday interactions. She doesn't bat an eye at things with which most people would be completely overwhelmed. She is supportive of every ER staff member and is responsive to the individual needs of her team. Pam is the epitome of a leader who creates an environment of trust and professional excellence. We, as the ED Staff, believe that Pam motivates us to pursue and continue professional development in our individual areas of interest. She infuses humor into the day to help ease stress amongst the charge nurses and the ER staff. The CNCs know that she will listen, understand, and support their real-time decision making. We cannot even know and appreciate the things she does behind the scenes for her team and for Sky Ridge as a whole. Thank you, Pam.
***
I have known and worked with Pam for nearly 15 years and she is the best leader I have been associated with. So much so, that I left my previous place of employment where I had worked for 15 years to follow her to Sky Ridge. She makes every work environment that she is at that much better both personally and professionally. On top of her leadership skill, she is one of the smartest people I have ever met and shares that knowledge with all of her staff in a role model position. She always puts her staff first. I can account for that personally. If it weren't for her and her willingness to put her staff first, I might not have made it through nursing school. She made arrangements to change my schedule to help me out so work would not impede me. This sounds like a small thing, but it changed my life forever. I can think of numerous stories like this that over the years that she has done for others that impacted them as much as it did me. She is the kind of leader people would run through walls for.
She also has the ability to turn departments around everywhere she goes. She makes everything more efficient and provides her staff with all that they need to succeed. Leaders like her are under-appreciated and deserve all that comes to them. It is a selfless job and she deserves to be recognized.
***
Our department director, Pam Assid, is not only the kind of nurse that we should all aspire to be like, but she is also the type of leader that any nurse would be lucky to have at any point in their career. Her bedside manner is admirable and her clinical knowledge that she so graciously shares with our whole staff truly amazes us daily. Pam puts the patient experience at the forefront of every person's visit who walks through the ER doors. In our department, she has established a working environment built on teamwork, camaraderie and trust. As an ER staff, we are used to "controlled chaos" and working in our own little world that is constantly changing. I don't think that any of us imagined or expected the challenges that the year 2020 and the Coronavirus Pandemic would bring into our lives. Throughout it all, Pam has confidently led us and walked through this time with us. Early on, in the face of the pandemic, it seemed our daily practice and standards of care were changing more frequently than any of us could keep up with. Pam remained steadfast, sending multiple emails daily to ensure that our staff was well communicated with. She made it her priority that we all felt safe and informed as we cared for these patients. She also welcomed new staff as the surgery center nurses were deployed to our unit in preparation for a potential surge of Coronavirus patients. Pam worked quickly to have the nurses trained to perform basic ED skills and to provide support to our care staff should we have a surge. She coordinated the establishment of an overflow tent to be set-up in our parking lot and ensure that all of the equipment and policies were in place to be able to effectively use if it was ever needed.
Pam is dedicated and selfless. She is our biggest advocate and our greatest teacher. She is a nurse in every essence of the word and to the deepest parts of her core and she is a leader above all else. We appreciate all she does in our department and behind the scenes to keep the gears of the ER running.