Christian Crystal, MSN, RN-BC

Our unit was once chaotic, disorganized, and a toxic environment. Staff who got floated to our unit complained and hated floating to our unit.

Christian took the assistant manager position in December 2023. I know it wasn't an easy task for him considering the work environment. Staff was burned out and exhausted, but he never gave up. He showed up every day to work and won the hearts of our staff.

Our highest mobility score at the time was 23%; we were at the lowest. We are now at 80% and among the highest. Our patient satisfaction is very high, one of the highest inpatient. He turned our unit around 360 degrees, making it a great place to work, despite the daily chaos. Now a lot of staff want to pick up a shift on our floor.

When we are short-staffed, Christian works on the floor in addition to his managerial role. I've seen him work nights a few times. He missed his Mabel Lamberson nomination because he was working. He is always there for his staff and empowers them.

Our RRTs used to be chaotic; now they are more organized due to Christian showing and leading the way. I haven't seen him just sitting around doing nothing. If he is not in a meeting, he is on the floor checking on staff.

As an assistant manager, he always came in his scrubs, always ready to jump in when the need arises. Our assistant manager, who wears scrubs, shows us that we are equal and that we can talk to and confide in him.

We were short-staffed for a long time, but he hired a lot of new staff. He certainly turned the unit around, and we are very proud to have him as our assistant manager and are proud to be working with him.