Hilary is a servant leader.  She truly cares about the staff that she interacts with, whether they are staff members in her assigned units or not.  Staff know when they go to Hilary with a question or concern, she will do everything she can to help resolve it.  She never makes anyone feel as if they are a burden.  Hilary is often the first person who has contact with our new employees. They look to her as a resource for all the information they need as they start their new job. This relationship often continues throughout their employment.

Hilary spends most of her day responding to questions. Whether it is a nurse manager or a new graduate RN, she is considered a subject matter expert in many areas. Hilary presents in many forums—she facilitates PCA education and core skills classes. She presents in staff meetings and hospital-wide meetings such as CNL. She is always clear in her delivery and uses several methods, including verbal, written, and demonstration, to get questions answered.  

Hilary serves as a UEXCEL advisor and mentors RNs credentialing to ensure that they are completing their projects in the timeline and have all the information needed. She also promotes certification and maintains her own certification.  Hilary is a great leader and often models behaviors that she expects from others.  She is the first to apologize or say something if she recognizes that something didn’t go as planned.  She is also the first to jump in and help if she notices that staff need additional support.  

Any time our system has a new process, product, or piece of equipment, our educators are always the first line to help develop and disperse education. Hilary aids in developing education that goes to all staff.  She understands that people have different learning styles and makes sure to provide education in a variety of ways – email, in person, on the quality TV, or on her education board in the break room.  She works hard to build relationships with staff so she can learn their preferred learning style and tailor her education to that person.

Hilary never leaves a question unanswered. If she doesn’t know the answer, she will find someone who does. Along the way, she helps others learn.  Hilary reads journal articles to ensure she is up to date on the latest professional development information.  She is constantly seeking understanding and is always willing to learn something that she doesn’t understand, which helps us all learn as she shares what she finds.  She is often a mentor for those wanting to certify or go back to school and is a UEXCEL advisor.

Hilary manages the orientation of all new staff on Surgical. This means that she is consistently following up with preceptors and staff on completing orientation tasks. She also follows up on mandatory education and those who have not completed it. Hilary is also in charge of the PCA education and works hard to ensure that she is clear in what the outcomes are of the sessions so the staff understand what they are working on that week.  Hilary provides gentle but constructive feedback to staff when needed.  

Hilary has worked at UCHealth for 19 years (almost 20!) and has built many relationships with staff and providers.  She is a go-to for many who need help with questions or concerns.  She works closely with the CNS group to deploy initiatives such as the change in our insulin order sets.  After implementation, she rounds on all units to ensure understanding.  She also collaborates closely with physicians and has been the expert resource for secure chat and to help ensure we are following the correct process.