I was fortunate enough to work with Terry as a peer and colleague before she assumed advanced roles as Clinical Nurse Lead, Manager of PACU, and ultimately Manager of Perioperative Services at Mercy Hospital.  Despite the changes in title, Terry has remained a "Mercy Nurse" and continues to demonstrate her belief in Mercy's Mission and Values in her professional practice.  It is not easy to ascend to supervisory roles and oversee colleagues who were once peers.  Terry has found a unique balance of being personable and approachable yet professionally focused and objective.  The goal of providing comprehensive, compassionate care does not extend only to our patients but to the nurses caring for them.  Terry promotes a healthy work-life balance for her staff and actively encourages self-care and family priorities. A 'call-out' in the early AM for a sick child, personal issue, or family emergency is not met with criticism, but support and understanding.  There is a pervasive "we've got your back" camaraderie in our unit that stems from our management team and has a "trickle-down" effect amongst the staff.  Nurses who feel personally supported and cared for are better able to provide the same for the patients who seek our care.

Healthcare is constantly evolving, and peri-anesthesia practice is no exception.  The challenges involving practice demands, patient volume and acuity, department merges, management changes, and national standards have been almost overwhelming at times.  Terry has been remarkably responsive and adept at taking these challenges in stride and inviting her staff to be creative and innovative in the way we care for our expanded patient population.  Under her guidance, we have developed processes that support continuity of care throughout the patient perioperative experience by cross-training ACU and PACU staff.  Additionally, our units now provide staffing support to other departments like Endoscopy, Interventional Radiology, and the Medical/Surgical unit.  Terry is steadfast in advocating for not only safe patient care but also staff safety and well-being as we expand our areas of practice.  Her support and encouragement have enabled many of us to "step outside our comfort zone" and seek additional training and skills necessary to care for Mercy patients in areas other than peri-anesthesia. 

Terry makes frequent "walk-throughs" and is a visible presence in the departments she oversees.  It was with great consideration and forethought that she selected our amazing Clinical Nurse Lead, and she utilizes daily resource nurses to ensure continuous staff support even in her absence.  Terry has developed a leadership team that is approachable and responsive, and staff feel comfortable bringing concerns or issues forward.  Her leadership of the Patient Experience Team Committee has led to changes in multiple other nursing and hospital processes to increase patient and family satisfaction. Happy nurses, happy patients.

Terry is actively involved in the support and promotion of peri-anesthesia nursing at the state and national levels.  As a past President of ASPAN (national) and MeSPAN (state), Terry encourages all nurses to become involved and invested in the organizations that support their professional practice.  She has published countless articles, columns, and books and is instrumental in developing the current standards and guidelines that govern safe and effective peri-anesthesia nursing practice.  She is well respected for her passion and expertise and is a popular presenter at local, state, and national events. During my MeSPAN Presidency in 2019-2021, Terry was a valuable resource and mentor, and our state organization continues to seek her guidance on a regular basis.

She is truly an exceptional leader, mentor, and role model for the Mercy nurses she directs.  I believe her consistent encouragement, support, and understanding allow her staff to deliver the quality of compassionate care that Mercy seeks to provide all patients in accordance with our Mission and Values.