As an employee of UT Southwestern Medical Center, Kelsey shares a role that is common in the hospital setting: as a nurse. However, by no means is she an ordinary clinician. The qualities that make Kelsey different from others who share the same type of profession is the passion that drives her efforts. I have witnessed Kelsey going above and beyond to advocate for both her patients and her coworkers. She essentially makes the work environment a place where patients want to receive their care and a place where nurses want to work.
She leads by example in both attitude and behavior in her role as a Charge Nurse. In this role, she balances the needs of the patients and staff with the needs of the hospital as a whole. She is frequently asked to step into difficult and emotionally charged situations, and she is able to assist with resolution as a result of her calm demeanor and patient personality. The Charge Nurse role also requires the coordination and consulting of the multidisciplinary teams and support services such as Chaplain Services, Social Work, and Child Life specialists in order to provide a holistic approach to patient care.
Kelsey meets the needs of her fellow staff by helping to train and teach critical care skills. She is a preceptor for nursing students, nurse interns and new hires to critical care. She also serves as a Super-User for the unit for multiple topics, including but not limited to central line care and maintenance for Medi-Ports, Artic Sun hyper/hypothermia machine and protocol as well as chest tube management. It is not uncommon for other units to reach out to her to request assistance with a medical device.
As a fellow staff nurse, it is hard to miss the exemplary performance that Kelsey radiates both as a colleague and as a leader. Throughout her time as part of the UT Southwestern family, she has shared her knowledge and expertise with her colleagues through her superior performance in her primary role as a bedside nurse. Kelsey serves as a leader on her unit in multiple ways. First, she is gifted at fostering a trusting relationship with her patients and families due to her thoroughness and dedication to patient care. One family describes the care they received from her as "selfless", and her teammates would say the same. Kelsey consistently places her patients, their loved ones, and her peers before herself.
Being a nurse means to oftentimes, see people at their weakest moments, but she cares for them with such compassion that it heals their souls. For example, I have seen her sit down with her patients and their families when end-of-life issues arise and when they are going through their deepest moments of grief. Despite the nature of her work, she always finds a way to put her patients and their families at ease. To Kelsey, nursing is not just a job - it is a calling for her.
Clinicians often become so consumed with their agenda and the tasks that they must do. However, she doesn't just see a disease that needs to be treated. She remembers that the patients she treats are humans from all walks of life who need a nurturing hand. Her service excellence is exemplified through her daily work in direct patient care. Kelsey's approach to her work centers on the attitude that the success of the team outweighs the success of the individual.
Between her patient and coworkers' appreciation, she has received multiple PACT pins over the years. Many of the PACT cards describe a time when Kelsey assisted a colleague without being asked. She is intuitive about what needs to be done and when someone is in need. She is proactive about meeting these needs, even if it interrupts her own workflow. For instance, she has willingly stayed over on her shift to help with emergent procedures in order to prevent delays in care. Her helpful nature to all she encounters demonstrates her commitment to teamwork.
One of the most influential ways in which Kelsey has impacted her unit and UT Southwestern as a whole is through her membership in the Unit Based Council (UBC). She has served three years on the committee, the second year as chairperson. Her participation in the Unit Based Council the past three years has brought significant changes to the unit resulting in greater staff participation as well as increasing overall job satisfaction. This past year, under her leadership, our UBC has become a top-performing committee with other units reaching out requesting assistance on how to become so effective. She worked on one of the most remarkable projects for the unit, several members of the UBC came together and developed a symbol that reflected the patient's status and aimed to promote tranquility during a difficult transition. Kelsey was a large part of this project that eventually extended to a hospital-wide initiative. As the UBC chair, she also led many community outreach projects that were meaningful and fulfilling for our staff members.
Outside of work, Kelsey created a book club as a way to provide an outlet for coworkers to gather outside of work without focusing on work. Given the nature of the unit, this provided a healthy coping outlet for the staff and evolved into quarterly group outings. The other outings planned by UBC included unit volleyball in the summer, a game night, as well as luncheons and parties where staff can bring their families, including pets. Professionally, Kelsey Wright is an exemplary employee. She consistently maintains a score above minimal requirement in unit evaluation process. Personally, she is a humble and kind individual, completely deserving of recognition for the incredible work she does daily.