The DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize those nurses who have devoted their life's work to the compassionate care of others. Recipients of this award are nominated for their dedication to nursing through active mentoring, role modeling, advocating for their patients, and promoting the positive image of nursing. They serve as a beacon of inspiration to those at all stages of their career and in the various and important roles of nursing.
Let's take a moment to review each of these award characteristics as they pertain to our fearless leader. . .
Lifetime: First, we won't talk about how old the birthday girl turned this week, but we will acknowledge her 28 years of service at FHN in a variety for roles including staff nurse, nursing supervisor, Director of Tele/ICU/RT/2N/OB, Director of Professional Development, Chief Nursing Officer, VP of Patient Services, and now Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President.
Mentoring:
One Medical-Surgical RN shared:
I entered a leadership role with very little experience, and not only did Kathy take a chance on me as a leader, she saw skills in myself that even I didn't know that I had. She mentored me to lead a department through many challenges and changes. She gave me the tools and resources that I needed to learn the role. If I made a mistake, she never became upset, but instead coached me on how to do better. She was always there, day or night if I had a question about something or needed advice, and she never seemed annoyed with the many times I needed to reach out to her. I lived for our weekly meetings because although they were just standard meetings to provide updates, I always left those feeling recharged and inspired. When I needed to change roles due to circumstances in my personal life, she was supportive of the changes that I needed to make. Not only was she a great mentor throughout my time in leadership, but she also became someone who offered great advice for challenges, even beyond work. Because of Kathy, I became a better leader, and now I am a better nurse and person thanks to her guidance and support.
Role Modeling: A nursing supervisor shared that Kathy displays her ability as a role model in several ways.
First and foremost, she models compassion for her FHN team. During emotional times when the nursing team had lost one of their own, she was present to provide a shoulder and prayer for the hurting staff.
During times of heightened anxiety and uncertainty, Kathy has been a calming influence. She models this with her choice of words and confident delivery.
Also, we can glean wisdom and insight from Kathy's example of strong leadership.
We are thankful to have her at the helm, partnering with others to keep FHN delivering excellence.
Advocating: Clinical Nurse Leader submission-
I was asked to write a short story about Kathy being an advocate. Talk about an impossible feat!! My entire 12-year career as a nurse with FHN has been witness to Kathy being an advocate. Plain and simple:
She's had my back when I needed it most!
She's had your back when you needed it most!
She has our patients' backs every hour of every day!
I have gained priceless knowledge watching her be an advocate for patients, families, nursing, community, and FHN. She truly leads by example!
My story I hope highlights all of these statements…
It was my last semester of the Master's Clinical Nurse Leader program at Rush. Kathy picked each CNLs capstone project. For me, she selected the development of a Patient and Family Advisory Council. I remember clearly sitting in her office and her passion for this topic. She knew it was imperative for FHN to create and maintain a council where our patients and family's voices could be heard. She told me it wouldn't be easy getting positive buy-in as sometimes we are not ready for the patients' stories - but she told me I must push through to completion. She charged me with the topic, supported me all along the way, and she still reaches out to this team for their opinions on important organizational topics. The good, great, bad, and sad - Kathy wants to know what our patients and families are thinking and feeling. Advocacy for Kathy is like gas exchange in all humans, it happens with every breath.
Promoting a Positive Image: All of these stories display how Kathy promotes a positive image of nursing and FHN. She tells stories of connection and compassion from her days at the bedside reminding all nurses that she has never forgotten what it means to be on the front lines. She is very active in our community, has led many initiatives, and can be found walking in parades or talking with community friends at events.
There are hundreds of more stories just like these.
It is with great honor that we are able to honor Kathy Martinez with The DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.