Doug Cofield is an outstanding nurse leader. He leads with compassion, expertise, dedication, and a humble spirit with a twinkle in his eye. He is always ready with a listening ear, a kind word, a smile that will brighten your entire day, and a laugh that spreads joy. He is approachable, supportive of not only his patients but every one of his team members along with his nurse leader colleagues and physician colleagues. He is committed to the pursuit of excellence and nothing but the best psychiatric patient care.

Doug is always present for his team- he steps in and will serve on any shift to fill a need. He attempts to meet his direct reports where they are and coach them to their personal level of greatness. He has the ability to see the gifts in everyone while promoting professionalism and nurse development of new and seasoned nurses. He has challenged his team to stretch beyond what they thought their limits were - never in an unsafe manner- but in an attempt to provide outstanding care in the best way possible. He challenges the status quo- and asks - just because we have done it this way- does it mean it is the best way- the safest way- let’s check the literature.

Doug is the type of leader that doesn’t see any role as beneath him. He leads by example- and coaches his associates up. Doug is one of the first to step into a challenging situation- offer a different perspective while keeping patient safety and quality at the forefront. He maintains a questioning spirit and never stops challenging his team - asking how they can be better. Doug is meticulous about the quality care that is provided on his unit - ranging from The unique needs of the acute, Geriatric, and general psychiatric patient.

Doug has helped countless individuals to recognize the unique practice of psychiatric nursing and what differentiates it from other areas. He advocates for safety. A particular moment comes to mind surrounding quality and safety is maintaining a questioning spirit and state of mind every day Doug completes environmental quality and safety rounds. On this particular day- Doug’s eyes noticed a great catch in the shared bathroom between general and geriatrics. He easily identified a significant ligature risk that honestly had been overlooked in previous inspections and was an enormous risk to the vulnerable patient population he serves. The hinges on the bathroom door serve as three ligature risk points and he immediately escalated and implemented led measures to ensure no patient would suffer harm. Due to Doug’s dedication and constant questioning spirit- this safety risk was identified, and countless patients have now been prevented from possibly harming themselves. It takes a unique person and personal dedication to review a familiar environment- and try to look at it with new and questioning eyes.

Psychiatric nursing is a different type of nursing from other specialties. It requires an individual who is passionate and dedicated to personal wellness that often involves a holistic approach. Doug is an outstanding leader and psychiatric nurse who has a true calling for his specialty. He cares about his patients and cares deeply about his associates. He is committed and a selfless servant leader. He embodies the spirit and qualities of a DAISY Nurse Leader. I don't have a specific story to tell, but it's the day-to-day stuff that makes Doug such a good leader. He is always willing to jump in and help on the unit, whether it's giving medications to a patient or answering the phones, he is always visible and approachable. Leadership has been difficult on this unit the last couple of years as we have had numerous changes, but Doug has jumped right in as if he's always been here. It is very apparent how much he cares about this unit and staff and we're lucky to have him.