Amanda Kells
September 2024
Amanda
Kells
,
MSN, RN, CNML
PIMCU
Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Hershey
,
PA
United States
Amanda stepped up to the challenge, which looked like advocating for her team daily, even on her days off, to ensure our safety as well as the best care for the patient. She handled very difficult situations with grace and professionalism, which embodies the values of our organization.
Our nurse manager's name is Amanda Kells, and when we read the description of a DAISY Nurse Leader, she embodies all aspects of this award. She has always been a team player for the entire Children's Hospital, evidenced by supporting multiple different units during their own leadership transitions, being an interim nurse manager for pediatric Heme/One, mentoring other nurse managers, all while still being the PIMCU nurse manager. Recently, she led the PIMCU to open a brand new unit, expanding to two floors, ensuring that the project was carried out in a way that maintained a safe environment for both patients and nurses. Not only did she do these things, but she did them well, evidenced by PIMCU having some of the best employee engagement scores in the entire department of nursing, which was a direct reflection of her leadership abilities.
A recent situation on our unit showcased her embodiment of the ideal candidate for this award and her dedication to supporting every nurse on our unit. A medically complex adolescent was admitted to PIMCU in January of 2024. This patient quickly developed into an intricate social, legal, and medical challenge for the entire interdisciplinary team. Amanda stepped up to the challenge, which looked like advocating for her team daily, even on her days off, to ensure our safety as well as the best care for the patient. She handled very difficult situations with grace and professionalism, which embodies the values of our organization. She went above and beyond to keep the entire care team informed with the multiple layers of complexity of the care plan and empowered the nurses to not tolerate disrespect from the patient's family. Over the last 9 months, Amanda has remained engaged and present in the day-to-day struggles that her nurses faced while caring for this patient and the ethical dilemmas that arose. She came into the hospital on her days off on the most difficult days, answered many calls/texts when she was at home with her family, because she knew and felt the emotional toll the situation had on the unit.
Throughout the patient's hospital stay, Amanda was the catalyst for conversations involving multiple disciplines (i.e. children and youth services, child protective team, risk management, security, local and state police municipalities, pediatric pulmonary, patient relations, infectious disease, urology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, care coordination, social work, child life, psychiatry, respiratory therapy, and the list continues) to discuss the disposition plan for this patient. Her perseverance ultimately led to the patient being safely discharged to a rehab facility. Managing this situation in addition to all of her other routine responsibilities truly highlights the exceptional nurse leader that she is. We are forever grateful to have her in our corner as the PIMCU nurse manager.
A recent situation on our unit showcased her embodiment of the ideal candidate for this award and her dedication to supporting every nurse on our unit. A medically complex adolescent was admitted to PIMCU in January of 2024. This patient quickly developed into an intricate social, legal, and medical challenge for the entire interdisciplinary team. Amanda stepped up to the challenge, which looked like advocating for her team daily, even on her days off, to ensure our safety as well as the best care for the patient. She handled very difficult situations with grace and professionalism, which embodies the values of our organization. She went above and beyond to keep the entire care team informed with the multiple layers of complexity of the care plan and empowered the nurses to not tolerate disrespect from the patient's family. Over the last 9 months, Amanda has remained engaged and present in the day-to-day struggles that her nurses faced while caring for this patient and the ethical dilemmas that arose. She came into the hospital on her days off on the most difficult days, answered many calls/texts when she was at home with her family, because she knew and felt the emotional toll the situation had on the unit.
Throughout the patient's hospital stay, Amanda was the catalyst for conversations involving multiple disciplines (i.e. children and youth services, child protective team, risk management, security, local and state police municipalities, pediatric pulmonary, patient relations, infectious disease, urology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, care coordination, social work, child life, psychiatry, respiratory therapy, and the list continues) to discuss the disposition plan for this patient. Her perseverance ultimately led to the patient being safely discharged to a rehab facility. Managing this situation in addition to all of her other routine responsibilities truly highlights the exceptional nurse leader that she is. We are forever grateful to have her in our corner as the PIMCU nurse manager.