Michelle R Scotter
March 2024
Michelle R
Scotter
,
RN, BSN, CPN
4 Med Surg
Children's Hospital & Medical Center
Omaha
,
NE
United States
My favorite trait of Michelles's is that she is a staunch patient advocate and delivers strategic direction and practice changes by "owning" them.
AONL's stated mission is: "Transform health care through expert and influential nursing leadership." No leader exemplifies this standard more than Michelle Scotter.
Michelle, through her professional experiences, has been blessed with the gifts of clinical intuition, empathy for all, and patient advocacy against a backdrop of professional accountability. These attributes were most recently demonstrated when I had an unfortunate, unpleasant interaction with a colleague on the nursing unit. As a result of this interaction, I felt devalued and questioned if I was in the place where my professional skills were best put to use and appreciated. I (nearing the end of the shift) approached Michelle (supervisor on duty) and shared my concerns.
Michelle actively listened to me as if she had nowhere else to be and all the time in the world to listen (to what I now think was a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things). Michelle did not take sides or agree with my assessment. She did what great leaders do; she listened, then learned more and facilitated de-escalation. Michelle was not rash in action or response but was intentional and collaborated with other leadership team members (manager and educator), which resulted in a far better employee experience for me. This is only one of many situations in which Michelle has excelled as a leader. She practices accountability with respect, providing a unique form of coaching that corrects mistakes while leaving the worker feeling valued and supported. She is collaborative in her daily work, understanding that none of us are as smart as all of us, making her open to drawing and learning from the diverse backgrounds and life experiences in our nursing unit.
My favorite trait of Michelles's is that she is a staunch patient advocate and delivers strategic direction and practice changes by "owning" them. She is not one to communicate, "They said we must..." but states, "We must...because it is what’s best for patients and Nebraska Children's." Having a little experience in leadership in other places, I know front-line leaders do not call the shots all the time. Michelle makes it seem as if the policies are her own ideas, which helps me adopt them more readily. Nebraska Children's and our department are truly lucky to have Michelle as a mentor and role model for the next generation of pediatric nurses!
Michelle, through her professional experiences, has been blessed with the gifts of clinical intuition, empathy for all, and patient advocacy against a backdrop of professional accountability. These attributes were most recently demonstrated when I had an unfortunate, unpleasant interaction with a colleague on the nursing unit. As a result of this interaction, I felt devalued and questioned if I was in the place where my professional skills were best put to use and appreciated. I (nearing the end of the shift) approached Michelle (supervisor on duty) and shared my concerns.
Michelle actively listened to me as if she had nowhere else to be and all the time in the world to listen (to what I now think was a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things). Michelle did not take sides or agree with my assessment. She did what great leaders do; she listened, then learned more and facilitated de-escalation. Michelle was not rash in action or response but was intentional and collaborated with other leadership team members (manager and educator), which resulted in a far better employee experience for me. This is only one of many situations in which Michelle has excelled as a leader. She practices accountability with respect, providing a unique form of coaching that corrects mistakes while leaving the worker feeling valued and supported. She is collaborative in her daily work, understanding that none of us are as smart as all of us, making her open to drawing and learning from the diverse backgrounds and life experiences in our nursing unit.
My favorite trait of Michelles's is that she is a staunch patient advocate and delivers strategic direction and practice changes by "owning" them. She is not one to communicate, "They said we must..." but states, "We must...because it is what’s best for patients and Nebraska Children's." Having a little experience in leadership in other places, I know front-line leaders do not call the shots all the time. Michelle makes it seem as if the policies are her own ideas, which helps me adopt them more readily. Nebraska Children's and our department are truly lucky to have Michelle as a mentor and role model for the next generation of pediatric nurses!