Bethan Parker
November 2020
Bethan
Parker
,
BSN, RN
Intensive Care Unit/ Resource Pool
Sentara Albemarle Medical Center
Elizabeth City
,
NC
United States
Bethan’s ability to be transparent, real, down-to-earth, and compassionate, and an advocate for her patients drives trust and respect in the team.
While Bethan can be described as a no-nonsense leader – having a clear mind of what needs to be done for her patients, the team, and the hospital, what really impresses me the most about her is her unrelenting compassion and advocacy for our patients. She is always the first to ask what is best for the patient, what is safest for the patient – and that leads her actions and her heart. She is known to be a fierce advocate for listening to what her patient wants. During COVID she was often the person who was setting up FaceTime calls between patients and families, pushing to get COVID positive patients who were hospice/palliative care home so they could be surrounded by their loved ones and actively involved in goals of care conversations.
Recently, we had a patient in the ICU who was very ill with a new diagnosis of cancer. The patient had significant respiratory distress and there was a lot of discussion around the patient regarding next steps (intubate or not) that involved the family, providers, and staff. Bethan went into the room and asked the patient what they wanted. The patient wanted to be placed on the ventilator and “fight.” She is a role model to always put the patient first and advocate for what they want – even if it means the team has to step back for a minute.
During COVID, when primary nursing staff was busy, Bethan set aside time in her daily schedule to make FaceTime calls with family members that were not allowed to visit patients whether they were COVID rule out or COVID +. Bethan role models teamwork, leadership, compassion, resilience, and true grit. She wants nothing less than extraordinary, safe, quality, and exceptional care for all patients in the hospital, not just those on her unit. She is the first to jump in and solve a patient concern, process issue, or staffing concern. She is seen as an expert by staff, providers, leaders from all areas of the hospital.
Bethan stepped into the clinical manager role at the beginning of 2020. While she was already a Team Coordinator for PCS and Resource Pool, she took on the challenge of clinical manager of the ICU. Not long after – we found ourselves deep in a pandemic, with her ICU team in the middle of the storm. Our first COVID-positive patient was in the ICU. We both got the dreaded call and text at 0200 on a Saturday morning of the positive test. Bethan has not shied away from this challenge. She led (and sometimes pushed) her team through the challenge of the unknown. This included ensuring her team had the most up to date information by creating a COVID communication board at the nurse’s station (which is still there), leading her team through their first proning, ensuring that they were educated on CAPRs and PAPRs, and calming the endless fears of her staff.
Bethan does not just lead her team, she also works with her team. We have some vacancies on the PCS team and when the need arises, Bethan jumps right in. There are times that Bethan comes to work in the day, leaves for a nap, and returns for a night shift PCS position. She also has worked weekends, holidays, and extra long hours to cover the PCS needs. As her director – I never hear from her that she has a PCS shift, she just does it. She recognizes the need and ensures it is met. She is a true model for servant leadership and supports not only her unit but for the hospital in their needs. Bethan comes in extra and stays late; she goes above and beyond not only for the staff under her immediate supervision but also the entire hospital.
Bethan accepted the challenge of clinical nurse manager less than a year ago. In that short amount of time, she has been able to pull together that team and lead them beyond expectations. The team has described her as supportive, an advocate, tough, fair, and one of them. While she built an individual relationship with each of her employees, she has also led that team professional to some incredible growth over the last 10 months. This is directly related to her compassion and support for the team. However, she continues to set high expectations for them and they continue to strive to meet those expectations daily. Bethan rounds on our patients almost daily to not only ensure their stay is fantastic but to also make sure we as staff have the necessary tools to take care of our patients. John Maxwell has a quote that says, “leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” Bethan’s ability to be transparent, real, down-to-earth, and compassionate, and an advocate for her patients drives trust and respect in the team. There are many times that Bethan has to ask her team to start a process, complete a task or support an initiative that they may not start off being fully supportive of. Bethan has a unique way of tying it back to the patient, our outcomes, and what is best for those we care for that results in her team not just complying but excelling. Bethan will not waiver on what is safe for the patient. I know I am getting ready to be pushed hard by Bethan when she calls me and the first question from her is “we should be putting patient safety first, right?” This usually means that she is concerned about a situation, process, and patient and is ready to advocate until the patient has what they need.
There is not a task that Bethan has asked me to perform that she would not be willing to assist in! She is always willing to come in extra and stay late to ensure our team has what we need. Bethan has a passion for creating a safe and meaningful work environment. This passion is infectious and results in members of not only her team but other teams follow. She values each member of her team and is always encouraging staff to discuss ways in which they can improve individually and as a team. Bethan provides real-time feedback for the goods and the negatives so that we know (almost daily) where we stand individually as a caregiver (when she rounds on our patients), as a team (looking at our HAIs and our MDI board with us), and as a facility (discussing HHCAPS).
One of Bethan’s greatest attributes as a leader is her ability to grow and mentor staff. She pushes her team and others to take on leadership roles on the unit and within the department. She always takes each nurses’ individual strengths into consideration when asking them to take on a task or project. One of my favorite pictures/videos I saw recently was her team all huddled around the MDI board – updating the data, putting on the graphs. Right in the middle of the group was one of our doctors. Bethan’s can-do spirit is infectious and makes everyone ready to jump in! Bethan steps in to help when we have questions, she also knows where to get answers from if she does not have them. She does not stop until feedback is provided. Bethan has become known as the go-to person. Her tenure in the hospital as a Patient Care Supervisor has made her well known to not only the teams she leads but the entire hospital.
Without a doubt, if I have a question about a process or the history of an issue, Bethan is whom I reach out to. She is known to chase down a concern, process issue, or situation until there is a resolution. Bethan is available during the day while at work and carries a spec link phone with her even during meetings. On nights and weekends, we know that she is just a phone call or text (for non-emergent things) away. When we voice concerns she provides a solution.
Bethan is a trusted member of our nursing community – at SAMC and in the community. Not only does she exhibit her passion for nursing while she is at work, but she also represents SAMC in the community through volunteer work to include volunteering at the SPCA and with the United Way Day of Caring. Bethan encourages the staff that she supervises to think holistically. She volunteers in the community that she works in and is all around a wonderful person to be around.
Although I was excited to hear that Bethan accepted the position of Nurse Manager in the ICU about a year ago, I could not have foreseen the success that she would have in such a short time. Prior to her transition into a managerial position, staff in the ICU felt overworked and underappreciated, and their morale was consequently marred. However, Bethan quickly was able to transform the confidence of the ICU team and organize them under her leadership. She had an enormous challenge given her transition from a nursing peer to part of the managerial staff, but she faced this challenge directly and steadfastly and cemented her image as a strong leader and mentor in the process. She rapidly made the shift into her new role and took charge of her responsibilities – and handled them admirably. Remarkably, she minimizes friendly interactions while simultaneously valuing them. She shows respect to every staff member, and in so doing, garners respect in return. She is naturally authoritative without being dictatorial. She knows how to be a friend and mentor without stepping outside the bounds of her leadership role. More so, she communicates extremely well with her department, is an excellent liaison between nursing and physician staff, understands and responds appropriately to concerns, and continuously looks for areas for improvement within the department. While these qualities certainly make a strong and effective manager, however, they aren’t what makes her a DAISY Nurse Leader. However, Bethan goes well beyond her duties and responsibilities as a nurse manager – she frequently integrates into other departments when the need arises, and also continues to lead the PCS and resource pool teams. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, Bethan interacts with patients and their families to advocate on their behalf. She has an impressive ability to support patient well-being while still being mindful of the needs of the department and the hospital. In circumstances that patient well-being and stresses on hospital and staff resources are in conflict, she works extremely diligently to find a solution. And she does. It is Bethan’s concern for the patient, mindfulness of the health of the staff, willingness to assist other departments in need, and comprehension of efficient and effective utilization of hospital and staff resources that make Bethan a model nurse leader and a true DAISY Nurse Leader. The qualities that Bethan likely sees as ordinary are widely viewed by myself and my colleagues as extraordinary, and she has been a true inspiration to all of us since taking the position.
Recently, we had a patient in the ICU who was very ill with a new diagnosis of cancer. The patient had significant respiratory distress and there was a lot of discussion around the patient regarding next steps (intubate or not) that involved the family, providers, and staff. Bethan went into the room and asked the patient what they wanted. The patient wanted to be placed on the ventilator and “fight.” She is a role model to always put the patient first and advocate for what they want – even if it means the team has to step back for a minute.
During COVID, when primary nursing staff was busy, Bethan set aside time in her daily schedule to make FaceTime calls with family members that were not allowed to visit patients whether they were COVID rule out or COVID +. Bethan role models teamwork, leadership, compassion, resilience, and true grit. She wants nothing less than extraordinary, safe, quality, and exceptional care for all patients in the hospital, not just those on her unit. She is the first to jump in and solve a patient concern, process issue, or staffing concern. She is seen as an expert by staff, providers, leaders from all areas of the hospital.
Bethan stepped into the clinical manager role at the beginning of 2020. While she was already a Team Coordinator for PCS and Resource Pool, she took on the challenge of clinical manager of the ICU. Not long after – we found ourselves deep in a pandemic, with her ICU team in the middle of the storm. Our first COVID-positive patient was in the ICU. We both got the dreaded call and text at 0200 on a Saturday morning of the positive test. Bethan has not shied away from this challenge. She led (and sometimes pushed) her team through the challenge of the unknown. This included ensuring her team had the most up to date information by creating a COVID communication board at the nurse’s station (which is still there), leading her team through their first proning, ensuring that they were educated on CAPRs and PAPRs, and calming the endless fears of her staff.
Bethan does not just lead her team, she also works with her team. We have some vacancies on the PCS team and when the need arises, Bethan jumps right in. There are times that Bethan comes to work in the day, leaves for a nap, and returns for a night shift PCS position. She also has worked weekends, holidays, and extra long hours to cover the PCS needs. As her director – I never hear from her that she has a PCS shift, she just does it. She recognizes the need and ensures it is met. She is a true model for servant leadership and supports not only her unit but for the hospital in their needs. Bethan comes in extra and stays late; she goes above and beyond not only for the staff under her immediate supervision but also the entire hospital.
Bethan accepted the challenge of clinical nurse manager less than a year ago. In that short amount of time, she has been able to pull together that team and lead them beyond expectations. The team has described her as supportive, an advocate, tough, fair, and one of them. While she built an individual relationship with each of her employees, she has also led that team professional to some incredible growth over the last 10 months. This is directly related to her compassion and support for the team. However, she continues to set high expectations for them and they continue to strive to meet those expectations daily. Bethan rounds on our patients almost daily to not only ensure their stay is fantastic but to also make sure we as staff have the necessary tools to take care of our patients. John Maxwell has a quote that says, “leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” Bethan’s ability to be transparent, real, down-to-earth, and compassionate, and an advocate for her patients drives trust and respect in the team. There are many times that Bethan has to ask her team to start a process, complete a task or support an initiative that they may not start off being fully supportive of. Bethan has a unique way of tying it back to the patient, our outcomes, and what is best for those we care for that results in her team not just complying but excelling. Bethan will not waiver on what is safe for the patient. I know I am getting ready to be pushed hard by Bethan when she calls me and the first question from her is “we should be putting patient safety first, right?” This usually means that she is concerned about a situation, process, and patient and is ready to advocate until the patient has what they need.
There is not a task that Bethan has asked me to perform that she would not be willing to assist in! She is always willing to come in extra and stay late to ensure our team has what we need. Bethan has a passion for creating a safe and meaningful work environment. This passion is infectious and results in members of not only her team but other teams follow. She values each member of her team and is always encouraging staff to discuss ways in which they can improve individually and as a team. Bethan provides real-time feedback for the goods and the negatives so that we know (almost daily) where we stand individually as a caregiver (when she rounds on our patients), as a team (looking at our HAIs and our MDI board with us), and as a facility (discussing HHCAPS).
One of Bethan’s greatest attributes as a leader is her ability to grow and mentor staff. She pushes her team and others to take on leadership roles on the unit and within the department. She always takes each nurses’ individual strengths into consideration when asking them to take on a task or project. One of my favorite pictures/videos I saw recently was her team all huddled around the MDI board – updating the data, putting on the graphs. Right in the middle of the group was one of our doctors. Bethan’s can-do spirit is infectious and makes everyone ready to jump in! Bethan steps in to help when we have questions, she also knows where to get answers from if she does not have them. She does not stop until feedback is provided. Bethan has become known as the go-to person. Her tenure in the hospital as a Patient Care Supervisor has made her well known to not only the teams she leads but the entire hospital.
Without a doubt, if I have a question about a process or the history of an issue, Bethan is whom I reach out to. She is known to chase down a concern, process issue, or situation until there is a resolution. Bethan is available during the day while at work and carries a spec link phone with her even during meetings. On nights and weekends, we know that she is just a phone call or text (for non-emergent things) away. When we voice concerns she provides a solution.
Bethan is a trusted member of our nursing community – at SAMC and in the community. Not only does she exhibit her passion for nursing while she is at work, but she also represents SAMC in the community through volunteer work to include volunteering at the SPCA and with the United Way Day of Caring. Bethan encourages the staff that she supervises to think holistically. She volunteers in the community that she works in and is all around a wonderful person to be around.
Although I was excited to hear that Bethan accepted the position of Nurse Manager in the ICU about a year ago, I could not have foreseen the success that she would have in such a short time. Prior to her transition into a managerial position, staff in the ICU felt overworked and underappreciated, and their morale was consequently marred. However, Bethan quickly was able to transform the confidence of the ICU team and organize them under her leadership. She had an enormous challenge given her transition from a nursing peer to part of the managerial staff, but she faced this challenge directly and steadfastly and cemented her image as a strong leader and mentor in the process. She rapidly made the shift into her new role and took charge of her responsibilities – and handled them admirably. Remarkably, she minimizes friendly interactions while simultaneously valuing them. She shows respect to every staff member, and in so doing, garners respect in return. She is naturally authoritative without being dictatorial. She knows how to be a friend and mentor without stepping outside the bounds of her leadership role. More so, she communicates extremely well with her department, is an excellent liaison between nursing and physician staff, understands and responds appropriately to concerns, and continuously looks for areas for improvement within the department. While these qualities certainly make a strong and effective manager, however, they aren’t what makes her a DAISY Nurse Leader. However, Bethan goes well beyond her duties and responsibilities as a nurse manager – she frequently integrates into other departments when the need arises, and also continues to lead the PCS and resource pool teams. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, Bethan interacts with patients and their families to advocate on their behalf. She has an impressive ability to support patient well-being while still being mindful of the needs of the department and the hospital. In circumstances that patient well-being and stresses on hospital and staff resources are in conflict, she works extremely diligently to find a solution. And she does. It is Bethan’s concern for the patient, mindfulness of the health of the staff, willingness to assist other departments in need, and comprehension of efficient and effective utilization of hospital and staff resources that make Bethan a model nurse leader and a true DAISY Nurse Leader. The qualities that Bethan likely sees as ordinary are widely viewed by myself and my colleagues as extraordinary, and she has been a true inspiration to all of us since taking the position.