As the manager of the TJUH Emergency Department, Susan is leading the ED nurses during one of the most challenging times in our department's history. With the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital this summer, our department has experienced extreme increases in both ambulance and walk-in patient volume. Susan has worked with hospital leadership to assure that the department is equipped with adequate staffing and supplies to support our clinical team in meeting the needs of our increased patient population. She has recruited more than 20 new nurses to our team in the past three months and has assured that they have felt welcome and supported during their transition and has worked with the inpatient nursing leadership team to bring inpatient pool nurses to our department to assist in the care of admissions boarding in the ED. This has helped free up emergency nurses to care for the influx of ED patients.
While a lot of Susan's actions have focused on bringing in resources to support caring for these patients, the most remarkable thing she has done is to keep our nursing staff focused on our mission to put patients and families first in spite of the myriad of challenges we face and the multiple demands of many patient types presenting at once. She has been a role model to our charge nurses for resilience and maintaining an attitude that we are capable of facing our challenges and meeting our patients' needs. She has been a role model for how to treat patients from all backgrounds with respect and compassion and has recognized staff who continually demonstrate these important attributes. Staff feel comfortable bringing issues to Sue because they know she will speak up for safety and advocate for our patients and staff to receive the best care possible. Sue has also engaged staff in the process of responding to this unplanned change by including front line nurses and technicians in workout events to redesign our front end process, increase capacity in our fast track area, and improve throughput of patients out of the ED when their disposition is made. Through being included in the decision-making process surrounding these changes, Sue has achieved the buy-in of the staff and helped them to feel their ideas and challenges are heard.
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The ANCC believes that "It is relatively easy to lead people where they want to go. The transformational leader must lead people to where they need to be in order to meet the demands of the future. Transformational leaders work through empowerment, motivation, consideration, and influence". Like a true Transformational Leader, Susan Cissone has transformed the culture of the Center City Emergency Department. For some time, the ED staff have felt defeated and unheard and recently experienced a large nursing turnover. Some of the staff nurses felt that management was not really interested in what the staff nurses felt or had to say. Sue began to slowly hire new nursing staff in her new role as ED Nurse Manager.
Somehow, she kept hiring nurses and technicians who complimented the other staff members and who also exhibited kind and compassionate patient care. The staff attitudes and culture began to change. We have transitioned to a patient ratio of 4:1, this has proven to be a huge stress reliever for staff as the previous ratios posed challenges. Once word spread of the Hahnemann closure, she managed to quell our fears. She began to implement changes to create more capacity. She encouraged staff engagement and input in all the changes that were up and coming. She also began to hire more staff to handle the increase in patient volume. Sue boasts an open-door policy and will answer emails and her phone at all hours. She comes in early to make sure she touches base with the night shift. She identified the importance of the presence of a leader on the off shifts and was able to gain approval for additional leadership resourced for our second and third shift staffers. Sue is an exemplary leader and manager within the organization. She is steadfast in holding to the mission and values of the enterprise and is constantly seeking to do right by her team. She has worked to empower the ED team in an effort to motivate them in providing the excellent care that is Jefferson Health and is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.
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I have worked in our emergency department for thirty-two years and in my time have worked under many different managers. Sue came to Jefferson almost six years ago and started her new job as our administrative supervisor in the emergency department. There are several characteristics that are noticeable with Sue. She has an amazing dedication and love of nursing, as well as a tremendous amount of respect for our patients, their family members and our staff.
One of the great things I admire about Sue is that her door is always open to staff. She is known for taking time out of her busy day to meet with us and genuinely treats us like family. When we are busy, and that is often, she will join us on the front lines, serving our patients or helping our staff. Whether helping transport a patient to their treatment room, contacting the patient flow center to advocate for our boarded patients getting rooms or covering an overwhelmed staff nurses assignment so they can take a break or go to lunch, she is always willing to help.
Sue motivates and empowers us to consistently care for our patients to the best of our ability and to truly help them feel welcomed here. She encourages us to recognize each other and celebrate our victories. Under her leadership, we have achieved the coveted Lantern Award from the Emergency Nurses Association, two Magnet designations and received the 2016 Best Nursing Team award from Advance for Nurses.
As a department, we have had some challenges with staffing, increased boarding of patients and most recently significantly increased volume in ED patients due to Hahnemann Hospital closing. Through all our challenges she has stayed committed to helping us deliver the best care we can to our patients, their families and each other. The last few months have been stressful, but she has remained the most positive, supportive manager I have ever worked with. I feel privileged and proud to have dedicated my last thirty-two years here at Jefferson's emergency department. Sue Cissone is a tremendous leader.