Chris Wilson
May 2025
Chris
Wilson
,
MSN, RN
Medical/Surgical Services
SSM Health - St. Mary's Hospital - Madison
Madison
,
WI
United States
Chris collaborates with her staff and other disciplines in ensuring that the patients and families have an exceptional experience. This approach benefits the patients and organization through improved communication, increased trust, and opportunities for real-time identification of opportunities for process improvement.
Chris Wilson is always willing to walk to the very edge of her comfort zone and then take the leap of faith that she is up for the next challenge. For example, during a leadership transition on the St. Mary’s Madison pediatrics unit, Chris leaned into her prior experience managing such a unit and volunteered to take on the pediatric unit in addition to her leadership role on 4SW (medical-surgical unit). Not only did this provide stable leadership for the pediatrics nursing team, but the work was also innovative and cost-effective. Fast forward a couple of years, and Chris once again took a leap of faith when the dual challenges of operating a small pediatric unit converged with the very real need for additional medical-surgical adult beds were recognized. Chris partnered with the Madison administration team to reorganize the pediatrics unit as a blended pediatrics/medical-surgical unit. Not only did this provide additional adult med-surg capacity so that St. Mary’s could better serve the community, it also honored St. Mary’s commitment to provide specialized pediatric care for some of our smallest patients.
This was an unpopular decision with some, but Chris always strives to do what is right for patients, families, and the community, rather than taking the easy and more popular path in her decisions. She worked to ensure the unit had the knowledge, skills, and competency to take care of the patients on the unit, and began an innovative cross-training program for staff to best prepare them to provide care for both populations.
Chris is a continuous learner who works hard to instill that learning spirit in other nurses. She is a strong advocate for participation in the career ladder and pushes her staff and colleagues to invest in their own clinical development. In terms of formal education, Chris has worked as a clinical instructor at Northeast Iowa Community College and for Herzing College, and most recently participated in an innovative clinical instruction model for Edgewood College.
Chris was a great partner to the med/surg Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) for years at St. Mary’s Madison, and continues to be as the CNS team moved to a WI regional role. Prior to coming to St. Mary’s, she had not worked with a CNS. As an operational leader, she was open to learning about how to effectively partner with the CNS and how this partnership could enhance the care provided by the staff on her unit. Chris’s strong leadership skills and ability to be a dynamic partner inspired nurses on her unit to question the status quo, use evidence-based practice to deliver safe, high-value care, and improve patient outcomes, including the overall patient experience.
Chris is also a strong partner with the Patient Experience Team and their leadership rounding initiative. Leadership rounding is a priority for Chris and her charge nurses. Chris collaborates with her staff and other disciplines in ensuring that the patients and families have an exceptional experience. This approach benefits the patients and organization through improved communication, increased trust, and opportunities for real-time identification of opportunities for process improvement.
Chris understands her accountability as a leader, for the profession of nursing, and our SSM mission. She is a courageous leader in challenging times and situations in which difficult decisions need to be made in a fast-paced and often chaotic healthcare system. Chris is also a quiet leader in that she listens more than she talks. She creates and nurtures a psychologically safe environment for her staff and colleagues. She does this by being clear about her expectations for professionalism and accountability. Chris has an exceptional ability to give open and honest feedback that promotes continuous development on the part of her staff and her colleagues.
Chris lives the Mission of SSM each day and leads by example, demonstrating the desired behavior and setting a positive example for her team, as well as her nursing and interprofessional colleagues.
One example of Chris’s leadership within St. Mary’s is her filling in as nursing supervisor when the team experienced unprecedented turnover. In addition to her role as director for 2 nursing units, she would fill in on off-shifts and weekends to ensure there was a hospital nursing leader who could assist with problem solving, escalate clinical and operational issues to the administrator on call as needed, and respond to staffing challenges during her shift.
Another example of Chris’s leadership that really shines is her willingness to graciously step into the Interim CNO position while a national search was conducted for a senior nursing leader at St. Mary’s – Madison. Chris worked hard to navigate the organizational uncertainties, relationship dynamics, and staff and leadership challenges while in the interim role. Once again, Chris stepped beyond her comfort zone to take on this critical assignment and managed it with grace and courage.
And when her Interim CNO assignment ended, Chris was tapped to take on another interim assignment in response to a leadership transition in Women’s and Children’s. In this role as Interim Director, she is providing needed leadership for the Birth Suites and Family Care Suites.
Chris recognizes the critical role of leadership and has the skill and ability to fluidly take on various assignments in service to her own professional development and for the good of St. Mary’s – Madison.
Chris began her nursing career as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Dubuque, IA as she was raising her young children. As a lifelong learner desiring to further her professional and personal growth, she pursued her RN degree from Northeast Iowa Community College in 2007 and achieved her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of Phoenix in 2007 and 2009, respectively. In 2012, she joined St. Mary’s – Madison as the Director of the 4SW surgical unit.
Undoubtedly, anyone who spends 25 years or more in nursing has given a great deal back to the profession. What is truly unique about Chris is that she is most often the first to raise her hand for a stretch assignment. She relishes the opportunity to step beyond her comfort zone of clinical and operational expertise within the hospital setting. It takes a special kind of individual to take on diverse opportunities to serve the ministry and the profession of nursing. It takes an individual with adaptability, resourcefulness, courage, and, most importantly, curiosity about how far she can stretch and grow.
Finally, Chris is a quiet leader who leverages her strengths through self-reflection and awareness, thoughtful communication, and the building of trust through both her words and actions. Chris inspires and leads with her strong sense of integrity and authenticity. We are proud to nominate Chris Wilson for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.
This was an unpopular decision with some, but Chris always strives to do what is right for patients, families, and the community, rather than taking the easy and more popular path in her decisions. She worked to ensure the unit had the knowledge, skills, and competency to take care of the patients on the unit, and began an innovative cross-training program for staff to best prepare them to provide care for both populations.
Chris is a continuous learner who works hard to instill that learning spirit in other nurses. She is a strong advocate for participation in the career ladder and pushes her staff and colleagues to invest in their own clinical development. In terms of formal education, Chris has worked as a clinical instructor at Northeast Iowa Community College and for Herzing College, and most recently participated in an innovative clinical instruction model for Edgewood College.
Chris was a great partner to the med/surg Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) for years at St. Mary’s Madison, and continues to be as the CNS team moved to a WI regional role. Prior to coming to St. Mary’s, she had not worked with a CNS. As an operational leader, she was open to learning about how to effectively partner with the CNS and how this partnership could enhance the care provided by the staff on her unit. Chris’s strong leadership skills and ability to be a dynamic partner inspired nurses on her unit to question the status quo, use evidence-based practice to deliver safe, high-value care, and improve patient outcomes, including the overall patient experience.
Chris is also a strong partner with the Patient Experience Team and their leadership rounding initiative. Leadership rounding is a priority for Chris and her charge nurses. Chris collaborates with her staff and other disciplines in ensuring that the patients and families have an exceptional experience. This approach benefits the patients and organization through improved communication, increased trust, and opportunities for real-time identification of opportunities for process improvement.
Chris understands her accountability as a leader, for the profession of nursing, and our SSM mission. She is a courageous leader in challenging times and situations in which difficult decisions need to be made in a fast-paced and often chaotic healthcare system. Chris is also a quiet leader in that she listens more than she talks. She creates and nurtures a psychologically safe environment for her staff and colleagues. She does this by being clear about her expectations for professionalism and accountability. Chris has an exceptional ability to give open and honest feedback that promotes continuous development on the part of her staff and her colleagues.
Chris lives the Mission of SSM each day and leads by example, demonstrating the desired behavior and setting a positive example for her team, as well as her nursing and interprofessional colleagues.
One example of Chris’s leadership within St. Mary’s is her filling in as nursing supervisor when the team experienced unprecedented turnover. In addition to her role as director for 2 nursing units, she would fill in on off-shifts and weekends to ensure there was a hospital nursing leader who could assist with problem solving, escalate clinical and operational issues to the administrator on call as needed, and respond to staffing challenges during her shift.
Another example of Chris’s leadership that really shines is her willingness to graciously step into the Interim CNO position while a national search was conducted for a senior nursing leader at St. Mary’s – Madison. Chris worked hard to navigate the organizational uncertainties, relationship dynamics, and staff and leadership challenges while in the interim role. Once again, Chris stepped beyond her comfort zone to take on this critical assignment and managed it with grace and courage.
And when her Interim CNO assignment ended, Chris was tapped to take on another interim assignment in response to a leadership transition in Women’s and Children’s. In this role as Interim Director, she is providing needed leadership for the Birth Suites and Family Care Suites.
Chris recognizes the critical role of leadership and has the skill and ability to fluidly take on various assignments in service to her own professional development and for the good of St. Mary’s – Madison.
Chris began her nursing career as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Dubuque, IA as she was raising her young children. As a lifelong learner desiring to further her professional and personal growth, she pursued her RN degree from Northeast Iowa Community College in 2007 and achieved her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of Phoenix in 2007 and 2009, respectively. In 2012, she joined St. Mary’s – Madison as the Director of the 4SW surgical unit.
Undoubtedly, anyone who spends 25 years or more in nursing has given a great deal back to the profession. What is truly unique about Chris is that she is most often the first to raise her hand for a stretch assignment. She relishes the opportunity to step beyond her comfort zone of clinical and operational expertise within the hospital setting. It takes a special kind of individual to take on diverse opportunities to serve the ministry and the profession of nursing. It takes an individual with adaptability, resourcefulness, courage, and, most importantly, curiosity about how far she can stretch and grow.
Finally, Chris is a quiet leader who leverages her strengths through self-reflection and awareness, thoughtful communication, and the building of trust through both her words and actions. Chris inspires and leads with her strong sense of integrity and authenticity. We are proud to nominate Chris Wilson for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.