I met Shari Washington formally on my first day as a registered nurse at Children's National Hospital. Informally, I had somehow found Shari's contact information while I was a nursing student and had contacted her regarding opportunities at Children's. I don't remember much from that email conversation, but I do remember getting a response. For a soon-to-be new graduate nurse, that was more than I received from other hospitals.
My first encounter with Shari was in the P2 classroom that became our home for various orientation classes and pediatric nurse residency classes. It was our safe place, somewhere we could unwind as new graduates, talk about our experiences, lie on the floor for aromatherapy time, and, although we may not have realized it, be mentored by Shari. Shari is authentic, kind and honest, with a great sense of humor! She had us laughing most residency classes; she knows how to break the ice! As a new graduate nurse, she was someone I quickly realized not only I could trust, but someone whose opinion I valued during the first year of my new career. Shari shared personal stories with us, which showed how she navigated being a nurse, how she developed in her career, and how she faced setbacks and professional challenges. She always encouraged professional honesty. Nothing was sugar-coated, but she was always professional in how she gave advice, or how she reflected on some of the situations that we brought to our residency classes.
I remember Shari sharing with us that she left Children's for some time, but returned because she could never stay too far from "the Bear", lucky for us! What she further explained was that her professional path carried her back because of the experiences and resources here at Children's that are far above what she experienced elsewhere. At that time, that conversation was comforting. It made us feel as new graduates that we made the right choice, it made the hard days easier and the great days better knowing that we were part of a bigger world.
There was more to 'the bear' than just our units. Shari continued to use her expertise, humor, and a keen sense of knowing when we needed a break to guide us through our residency program. At about 9 months into the residency program, I received contact from another large children's hospital, where I did my senior capstone during school. The hospital was offering me a position in their fetal medicine institute. When I thought about the reality of that position, and being a little closer to home, I began to compare what I would have at that hospital to what I would be leaving here at Children's. It hit me that if I left Children's, I would leave Shari. Sure the opportunity was interesting and exciting, but who at that hospital would be my Shari Washington? I thought to myself: I was at that hospital for two months, and didn't meet a Shari Washington; there definitely would not be a Shari Washington there now! There were some other practical life reasons as to why that position was not right for me, but a critical driving force for me to stay at Children's was that if I did leave, I would leave people who guided and developed me as a new graduate nurse. I would leave Shari, someone whom I trusted professionally, and someone whom I placed so much value on as a mentor and guide. I would be leaving someone who saw the true greatness in new graduate nurses, someone who understood that sometimes your professional path looks like a Rorschach test, or a giant jumble of steps, missteps, and backtracking, and that is ok. I would be leaving someone who got me through a difficult first year and supported me when I decided that I needed to make a change within Children's. I'm so grateful for the connection that I made with Shari as it truly shaped my career as a new graduate nurse. I'd venture to say that there are plenty of other new graduate nurses who can reflect on how impactful the residency program was for them, especially because of the leadership from nurses like Shari. Shari embodies values that we subscribe to at Children's National. She has a commitment to her profession and educating those who she interacts with, she is compassionate in everything that she does, and she makes connections not only interpersonally but influences positive connections between nurses and Children's National as a whole. She is someone who I trust and view as a mentor, someone who goes above and beyond to support the professional development of nursing, and someone who I am thankful to have met. Shari embodies the spirit of The DAISY Nurse Leader Award; she is an outstanding role model, mentor, and peer for nurses at all levels at Children's National. She is a true nurse leader.