I have had the privilege of working directly with Ms. Haselwood for the last 4 months at the OSUMCE-SS. Although Ms. Haselwood has many roles that demonstrate her outstanding leadership, her work with the swab station most clearly exemplifies her outstanding leadership and how she represents the values of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Ms. Haselwood's leadership is characterized by her commitment to the values of ownership, empathy, sincerity, determination and innovation, and inclusiveness.
Ms. Haselwood demonstrates tremendous "grit", or "... passion and perseverance" to achieve long-term goals (as defined by researcher Angela Duckworth). Once Ms. Haselwood has committed to a goal, she finds creative solutions to achieve them and is undeterred by the inconsistency and barriers on the part of other people (Commitment to Determination and Innovation). When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ohio and the OSUMC wanted to establish testing sites, Ms. Haselwood took ownership of establishing a Swab Station at OSUMC East. Working with her clinical collaborators, Ms. Haselwood started with only the goal and built this site from the ground up. Initially, the site was operated out of the entrance to the "old Emergency Department" building. But this location had many issues for staff and patients.
Under the leadership of Ms. Haselwood, and in collaboration with the executive staff of physicians and nurses, OSUMCE-SS moved into a semi-permanent location outside of the hospital building. A trailer was specifically designated to be used only for swabbing. Through a continual process of evaluation and refinement, Ms. Haselwood established protocols for the Swab Station. These ranged from how patients checked in their arrival for a COVID-19 test, to the strategic placement of signs directing patients to the Swab Station around the hospital, to the traffic pattern patients used when waiting for a swab to minimize the blockage of major streets. It is through her continual work that the staffing and effectiveness of the OSUMCE-SS have dramatically improved.
One reason for this is because of Ms. Haselwood's responsiveness and availability to staff (Commitment to Inclusiveness). Whenever an issue arises, or the team thinks of new ways to improve the process, it is Ms. Haselwood who readily brings those ideas to fruition. At one point, the OSUMCE-SS was seeing nearly 500 patients a day for a COVID-19 swab. During this time, patients most often came in rushes over lunch. Ms. Haselwood came out to assist the team every day, both taking phone calls and speaking directly with patients. This helped ensure that each team member got a much-needed lunch break. Her presence brought a sense of calm to the hurried organized chaos of testing so many patients. She even provided her cell phone number to the team so we could contact her when we needed assistance. And she performed these duties all in addition to her role at the hospital.
As a leader, these actions fostered an environment of trust, compassion, and respect (Commitment to Sincerity). This was further exemplified when Ms. Haselwood bought candy and stickers for the pediatric patients that coming through the Swab Station to ease their testing process. When a surgeon needed accommodations for a pediatric patient who was getting COVID-19 testing weekly for multiple cancer surgeries, Ms. Haselwood personally contacted the patient's mother to answer any of her questions and ensure she understood the process for testing. Later in the week, I swabbed the pediatric patient and her mother could not say enough positive things about her conversation with Ms. Haselwood and the reassurance this mother felt. This interaction directly promoted the image of nursing at The Ohio State University East within the community.
Many other patients and staff have had similar experiences because Ms. Haselwood consistently demonstrates extraordinary behavior (Commitment to Empathy). She is characterized by friendliness and her positive attitude and amiable spirit make it fun to work with her. She sets and holds herself to rigorous standards. She places a high value on personal accountability for the human, financial and natural resources entrusted to her. Her personal commitment to excellence is also evident in the way she truly engages employees. Ms. Haselwood sets high, but achievable, expectations for employees and genuinely cares about their development as individuals and professionals. She supports the ethical behaviors of staff in all of her interactions with her employees (Commitment to Ownership). Brené Brown defines the ethical behavior of integrity as, "… choosing courage over comfort. It's choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy. It's choosing to practice your values rather than simply professing them." I use this quote because I believe it captures one of Ms. Haselwood's greatest leadership characteristics - she role models commitment to integrity for the best patient outcomes. Throughout my brief time at the OSUMCE-SS, I have seen Ms. Haselwood graciously move through many situations that challenged her commitment to act within her values. She is a person you can count on to do the right thing, no matter how difficult or unpopular that may be and regardless of whether someone is observing. Yet, Ms. Haselwood welcomes other perspectives and can defer to others when her viewpoint may not offer the best patient or staff outcome.
Further, Ms. Haselwood consistently serves as a role model for her employees when interacting with patients (Commitment to Ownership). In her role, I have frequently observed Ms. Haselwood navigating dismayed patients at the OSUMCE-SS. Her effective communication consistently makes both patients and her employees feel heard while finding novel solutions for their situations. For example, a patient arrived at the Swab Station with no appointment and became belligerent with the nurse that was assisting the patient. Ms. Haselwood immediately went to speak with the patient. Ms. Haselwood was so tactfully and effective at making the patient feel heard in their frustration and providing a successful solution, that by the time I went out to actually swab the patient, this same patient laughed and joked with me!
Ms. Haselwood's tireless work both with and for her staff and patients at OSUMCE makes her an outstanding leader and our organization is better because of her leadership. Our team wholeheartedly believes no one is more deserving of The DAISY Nurse Leader Award than Beth Haselwood MSN, NEC-BC, RN.
***
I met Beth while I was working temporarily at the OSU East swabbing station when my surgical center was closed due to COVID. Beth was nothing but supportive, compassionate, and understanding during this difficult time. She always helped us with whatever was necessary and supported us through our time there. She was the backbone that we all needed. She is exceptional at what she does and I will always be grateful for her and everything she did for us. Beth sets an example of what it means to be extraordinary. Thank you, Beth!
***
Beth is very supportive of the swab station and always makes herself available to jump in to assist when we need it!
***
Beth exhibits all of the behaviors mentioned below. Being a newer manager with the health system, she has been available to me to make the connections to all things Ohio State and help me become acclimated. She consistently encourages new ideas and supports as needed. I am so impressed and grateful for her energy and long term commitment to East Hospital.
***
Beth is always responsive available and accessible. She checks on us every day. She works with us when busy. She notices what is needed and adjusts everything accordingly. She also asks for our input. Prepares us for changes appropriately. When working with her she is a wonderful role model. People enjoy working in the Swab Station. We feel safe there. She also fosters an environment of trust. I feel she meets everything. Ownership, empathy, sincerity, determination and innovation, and inclusiveness.
***
Beth is so helpful and supportive - truly, she is an invaluable asset here at OSUMCE.
***
I think Beth is the best at what she is doing. She has the sincerity, determination, innovation, and inclusiveness-what a leader should have. She always respects staff and motivates everyone to do better. I've never known that a leader can be so friendly, trustworthy, and accessible whenever her staffs need her. I'm totally impressed with what she has done, and feel like my experience in patient care was so limited until working with Beth. One experience that sticks out to me is that after a patient in a wheelchair got swabbed, I had him wait near the Swab Station for transportation. When Beth saw the situation, she offered to help wheel the patient (with his walker and belongings on the wheelchair) to the front of the hospital so that the patient could have better access to public transportation. I feel like my contribution and compassion to patient care is so tiny compared to what Beth has done for patients as well as her staff here at the East hospital.
***
Beth Haselwood is truly a hard worker, compassionate leader, and teamwork makes a dreamwork kind of nurse. In my many years at East, I have had the pleasure of seeing her excel and achieve many jobs. She was my interim boss once early in my first years as a MedSurg nurse. But until recent months I never got to work elbow to elbow with her. She as a leader of the COVID swab station at East shows her many facets as a leader and coworker. She is willing to do anything to get the job done. She shows that she cares for the wellbeing of those working under her but makes you feel as if you're actually working with her and that in my view is how a true leader should be.
***
I have known Beth for 17 years since I arrived at OSU East Hospital. Throughout this time, she has exemplified leadership and nursing excellence. The criteria for The DAISY Nurse Leader Award are ownership, empathy, sincerity, determination and innovation, and inclusiveness. I would like to share her role in a recent initiative at East Hospital that demonstrates how she meets these criteria: the COVID-19 swab station.
When the COVID-l9 outbreak occurred, it became immediately clear that the medical center needed a location to perform testing that was both convenient for patients and safe for staff. East Hospital was designated as one of two sites for the new OSU swab stations. Because of her track record of organizational skills, Beth was selected to operationalize the swab station. She immediately took ownership of the project and created a staffing model and organized supply chain resources. She showed her determination and innovation by renting a trailer to serve as the operational base for the nursing staff and outfitting it with lab testing equipment, computers, and telecommunication equipment. Her track record of sincerity allowed her to recruit nurses and train them in safe and effective nasopharyngeal swab techniques. Her empathy was manifest in her structure and adaptation of patient flow in order to make the swabbing experience accessible to all patients and make the experience as simple and efficient for patients as possible. She demonstrated inclusiveness in how she ensured that every staff member involved in the swab station felt valued and important- from the nurses in full PPE obtaining the swabs to the staff answering swab station phones, to the staff running swab specimens to the lab. Through her efforts, the swab station has been an immense resource for our patients, our employees, and the community of the East Side of Columbus.
The swab station is just one of many projects that I have seen Beth take on at East Hospital that illustrate how she exemplifies the qualities of a DAISY Nurse Leader.
***
I am writing this letter of recommendation for Ms. Beth Haselwood. I have had the honor to work with Beth at OSU East Hospital for a little over 2 years. Beth is a strong leader, mentor, and role model. She is extremely knowledgeable as a nursing director and is a true asset to our organization.
Beth is consistently sought out by other nursing directors, managers, and myself as well as front-line nursing staff for her assistance and support of patient care, challenging clinical situations, as well as for her guidance and recommendations for new and changing processes and clinical care. Beth is well respected by countless individuals across the system. Beth is collaborative. She is an active listener and extremely caring and compassionate.
Beth is very flexible and always goes above and beyond. When COVID hit us this Spring, Beth was ready to step into action and help in any way needed. Beth understands a concept, develops the plan, and puts it into action with little to no direction needed. Beth started the initial screening stations at East and managed that for quite some time. In addition, she started and has been the key lead since the inception of the East Hospital Swab Station. Her follow through and attention to detail is impeccable. Our swab station started in the ACC entryway since the ACC was closed. She coordinated with all the necessary departments to make sure the supplies, PPE, other equipment, IT resources, etc. was ready and available. As the swab station grew, she worked with facilities to acquire a trailer that has heat and air conditioning so the staff is sheltered and as comfortable as possible while working in the station. Beth has helped revise processes over the months with the swab station by carefully listening to the swab station staff feedback and making ongoing positive improvements. She continues to fine-tune everything from the layout of the trailer to, traffic patterns of swab patients to prevent issues with community traffic, as well as the ever-changing staffing demands. Beth goes out to the swab station consistently and frequently, always at the beginning of the day to make sure staff are set for a busy day, at the end of the day to see what is needed for the next day, and a few times throughout the day. She jumps in and helps with calls and traffic coordination at the drop of a hat. She also frequently provides little tasty treats for the staff mid-day out of her personal funds just as a special way to recognize swab staff and share her gratitude and appreciation. Beth coordinates all the staffing for the swab station and we have not been provided designated resources so she has consistently been very creative in finding the staff to man the swab station. Beth has done an outstanding job with the swab station for many months now; however, this is just a snapshot and one example of the great work she displays in everything she does.
Beth is truly an asset and a true DAISY Nurse Leader.