December 2020
Sofia
Melendrez
,
BSN, RN
Tele Step-Down
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center
To grow herself and her management team, Sofia started a book club, and the first book they read as a team was "Straight A Leadership."
Sofia Melendrez RN, BSN started her employment at San Jose Medical Center in 2002 as an Assistant Nurse Manager. Sofia wanted to have a greater impact as a leader and became the Nurse Manager of the Tele Step-Down Unit in 2016. As a nurse leader, Sofia brings amazing calmness to her team. When you first meet Sofia and have the time to observe her amongst her staff and engaging with patients you quickly recognize that her calm demeanor and presence puts everyone at ease anchors a personal connection. She has a very pleasant demeanor and approaches all issues with a "can do" attitude. She leads her teams in the same manner.
Sofia and her team have often pioneered new service lines and innovations required due to the pandemic. They piloted Ketamine/Lidocaine infusions, they are the receiving site for ePCI, and also served as the ICU overflow during the pandemic. All of this was done with utmost enthusiasm and confidence. The team also piloted the use of Baby monitors and Teams to keep patients safe during the pandemic.
Sofia understands the need for human connections and the power they bring to healing. As a talented artist, she is often found playing her violin for patients who not only enjoy the music but also benefit from the healing that music brings. She has won many hearts from our patients who love to hear her play the violin.
Sofia engages both her frontline and manager staff in shared decision-making, including them in identifying opportunities for process improvement on her unit and ensuring they are involved in any future changes. This has reinforced the trust and respect she has gained from her staff and other disciplinary team members.
To grow herself and her management team, Sofia started a book club, and the first book they read as a team was "Straight A Leadership." With her Assistant Nurse Managers, they meet weekly to share their learnings and glean from each other on how they can learn from each other as leaders. They followed this up by using the Strength Finders book and tool to learn what their strengths and opportunities are as a team. These two examples alone demonstrate the commitment that Sofia has in supporting her team and her own leadership growth to be better able to execute unit goals as well as local and regional goals.
Sofia is very engaged in the community. Sofia is always making a difference in the community. An example is a work on stroke that she and her team lead in the community. She is passionate about stroke prevention and spends time away from her young family to educate her community on the Signs and Symptoms and early detection of Stroke.
Overall, Sofia is an exemplary leader in nursing. Someone who nurtures her team creates a healing environment and is dedicated to caring of the patients in the hospital and in the community.
Sofia and her team have often pioneered new service lines and innovations required due to the pandemic. They piloted Ketamine/Lidocaine infusions, they are the receiving site for ePCI, and also served as the ICU overflow during the pandemic. All of this was done with utmost enthusiasm and confidence. The team also piloted the use of Baby monitors and Teams to keep patients safe during the pandemic.
Sofia understands the need for human connections and the power they bring to healing. As a talented artist, she is often found playing her violin for patients who not only enjoy the music but also benefit from the healing that music brings. She has won many hearts from our patients who love to hear her play the violin.
Sofia engages both her frontline and manager staff in shared decision-making, including them in identifying opportunities for process improvement on her unit and ensuring they are involved in any future changes. This has reinforced the trust and respect she has gained from her staff and other disciplinary team members.
To grow herself and her management team, Sofia started a book club, and the first book they read as a team was "Straight A Leadership." With her Assistant Nurse Managers, they meet weekly to share their learnings and glean from each other on how they can learn from each other as leaders. They followed this up by using the Strength Finders book and tool to learn what their strengths and opportunities are as a team. These two examples alone demonstrate the commitment that Sofia has in supporting her team and her own leadership growth to be better able to execute unit goals as well as local and regional goals.
Sofia is very engaged in the community. Sofia is always making a difference in the community. An example is a work on stroke that she and her team lead in the community. She is passionate about stroke prevention and spends time away from her young family to educate her community on the Signs and Symptoms and early detection of Stroke.
Overall, Sofia is an exemplary leader in nursing. Someone who nurtures her team creates a healing environment and is dedicated to caring of the patients in the hospital and in the community.