Daphne L Clem
May 2022
Daphne L
Clem
,
RN, BSN
Pediatrics & Special Care Nursery
St. Luke's Hospital
Chesterfield
,
MO
United States
Daphne has strengthened and developed the clinical knowledge, confidence, teamwork, and culture of her teams during this time. This has elevated the quality of care her departments provide, leading to great quality outcomes and excellent patient experiences.
Daphne has been a leader at St. Luke’s since 2016. She is responsible for our neonatal and pediatric services. Under her leadership, I have witnessed her transform the care and culture of her units. She has strengthened and developed the clinical knowledge, confidence, teamwork, and culture of her teams during this time. This has elevated the quality of care her departments provide, leading to great quality outcomes and excellent patient experiences.
From a quality and safety perspective, Daphne has a unique role within this organization in that she is often the only person at the table considering the pediatric impact of policies, equipment, and workflow changes. She seems to rather easily adapt and effectively communicate when changes will have significant impacts on her patient population.
She has become a trusted and respected support in the leadership team because of her clinical expertise. One example was the undertaking of providing pediatric covid vaccines. This is a big operation to put together and coordinate. A strategic part of the operation was providing these on Saturdays as that is what worked best for school-aged children. Daphne sacrificed and changed her schedule to accommodate what was best for her patient population even though this required working additional hours on the weekend including during the holiday season. Such a great example of going above and beyond for her patients. She also came up with great ideas to make a shot one of the best experiences for these kiddos.
From a team member standpoint, Daphne is so connected with her team. While she does have small departments, she manages 39 people by herself, and she knows them all well and regularly rounds with them. Lovingly referred to as “Queen Bee,” her staff are often singing her praises, and telling me how wonderful she is and how truly blessed they are to have her as their leader. See attached card from staff (Several comments about best boss ever, recognition of how she is willing to help whenever and wherever needed to care for patients.) Daphne’s team follows her lead because they know she will never ask them to do anything she would not do herself. She has strengthened her team by being an extraordinary role model and true servant leader.
Patients and families love her too. She has a heart for kids and they feel how much she cares for them. I have seen and heard from parents how incredibly kind and compassionate she is to them while they are going through some of life’s most difficult moments with a sick child. She is a fierce advocate for her patients and families when needed as well. As her leader…I will say that working with Daphne makes me a better leader. She is an incredible support to me, a clinical expert, she challenges me to think differently, and to see perspectives differently free of bias. She is a pleasure to work with and an asset to our leadership team.
From a quality and safety perspective, Daphne has a unique role within this organization in that she is often the only person at the table considering the pediatric impact of policies, equipment, and workflow changes. She seems to rather easily adapt and effectively communicate when changes will have significant impacts on her patient population.
She has become a trusted and respected support in the leadership team because of her clinical expertise. One example was the undertaking of providing pediatric covid vaccines. This is a big operation to put together and coordinate. A strategic part of the operation was providing these on Saturdays as that is what worked best for school-aged children. Daphne sacrificed and changed her schedule to accommodate what was best for her patient population even though this required working additional hours on the weekend including during the holiday season. Such a great example of going above and beyond for her patients. She also came up with great ideas to make a shot one of the best experiences for these kiddos.
From a team member standpoint, Daphne is so connected with her team. While she does have small departments, she manages 39 people by herself, and she knows them all well and regularly rounds with them. Lovingly referred to as “Queen Bee,” her staff are often singing her praises, and telling me how wonderful she is and how truly blessed they are to have her as their leader. See attached card from staff (Several comments about best boss ever, recognition of how she is willing to help whenever and wherever needed to care for patients.) Daphne’s team follows her lead because they know she will never ask them to do anything she would not do herself. She has strengthened her team by being an extraordinary role model and true servant leader.
Patients and families love her too. She has a heart for kids and they feel how much she cares for them. I have seen and heard from parents how incredibly kind and compassionate she is to them while they are going through some of life’s most difficult moments with a sick child. She is a fierce advocate for her patients and families when needed as well. As her leader…I will say that working with Daphne makes me a better leader. She is an incredible support to me, a clinical expert, she challenges me to think differently, and to see perspectives differently free of bias. She is a pleasure to work with and an asset to our leadership team.