There are a few reasons why Jeff is a DAISY Nurse Leader: I met Jeff back in 2013 when he was a CCT nurse. I was an EMT and would accompany him on transports. I remember he would show me nursing skills and teach me about the nursing profession. He was always interested in providing education to better those around him. He knew I was in my prerequisites for nursing school and wrote me a letter of recommendation when I applied to nursing school. When I worked on the ambulance I would see him at Saddleback as the charge nurse. He was always supportive and would ask how nursing school was going. He always had a smile on his face, just like he does now. Once I graduated, I got a job in the same hospital on telemetry and bugged him almost every day to let me come join him and his team in the ER. He had recently been promoted to manager, which many people were excited about. Once I hit my year mark he brought me down to the ER and has shown me the ways of an ER nurse. Jeff always shows me tremendous support in my career and is an amazing leader. We all look up to him and appreciate him more than he knows. Thank you, Jeff, for the constant guidance and positivity you show us. Thank you for giving us the resources to excel in our careers (such as taking the CEN test). Thank you for leading the entire department with grace when faced with a pandemic and thank you for always putting your staff first! Your hardworking does not go unnoticed.
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Jeff, I can honestly say you are someone that I look up to. You are hands down the best manager I have had, and I am so happy to be working with you once again. It is so nice and refreshing to have a leader who advocates for his staff, is 100% there for us and always giving it his all. Your hard work does not go unnoticed and I personally want to say a big thank you for all your hard work, passion, and dedication to the entire ER and us nurses. Thank you for everything you do for us!
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I have had the unique opportunity of starting my career in your ER right at the inception of the coronavirus madness. While some might consider it the worst time to start a new job, you have shown me I couldn't have started at a better time. In the short time, I have had the pleasure of working for you, you have shown me more support and value than I have known before from a nurse manager. That in and of itself would be reason enough to admire you, but for you to show such caring and compassion during a time of complete chaos and uncertainty is something to look up to, to say the least. Through a time of constant change and learning, you have maintained dignity, control, and respect; and you have done so while keeping an open door and a listening ear to all your staff, showing true leadership skills that cannot be taught. You have listened to our concerns and suggestions and headed them all to the best of ability without compromising our safety. Despite the hectic state, we are in, you have still taken the time to check on me regularly to see how I am transitioning and if there is anything you can do to help me through this time, as well as providing me positive feedback. You ask me often if I feel that I have made the right decision coming to Saddleback; well I can tell you that seeing how you have handled yourself and your staff through these arduous times has more than solidified my decision! Thank you for all you do!
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Jeff Riedel has shown what it means to be a manager. This challenge we are facing as hospital employees has been taxing on all of us. There are so many unknowns. Jeff has spent countless hours, making sure we are all informed and up to date with the ever-evolving changes regarding COVID-19. He makes sure we huddle at the beginning of each shift and shares the most up to date information he has with us, which means he's working 12+ hour shifts almost every day. He has taken time away from his family to make sure we have the support and information we need. Jeff has spent his own money to make sure we have plenty of PPE as well as sending food for us when we need a little extra fuel to keep us going through the chaos. He has made sure we know that our safety is his priority and none of that has gone unnoticed. Thank you!
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Jeff is a dedicated manager who sets his team up for success and professional growth. When I transitioned to the ED, he provided me with complimentary books to help increase my knowledge of a new specialty. Fast forward one year later, Jeff paid for CEN courses, something never previously offered before, so I and ten other nurses could become that much more knowledgeable in our field. Jeff has gone through great lengths to earn approval to increase staffing which has now doubled in the last six months. This has been amazing for unit culture, workflow, and simply better patient care. I was working during last year's unprecedented surge of patients and will never forget how impressed I was to see our top leaders, Jeff and Karen, throwing their hats in the ring as well. During a time of a pandemic, Jeff has made himself 100% easily accessible to questions and concerns electronically as well as in-person by coming to both day and night huddles for weeks on end.
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Our manager, Jeff, has really stepped it up during this crisis. As of now, we are well supplied with products. We've implemented many policies to help our patients like "no visitors" to help keep the transmission rates of this COVID-19 virus down and in under 24 hours our department was transformed into a negative pressure isolation room and treatment area for r/o COVID-19 patients which is going above and beyond the CDC recommends for keeping us healthcare workers safe. Considering what I've heard from others, I feel like we are the most protected ER workers in Orange County and that goes to show you how important our management team is to our department. They can make or break the atmosphere in the room. Jeff is a DAISY Nurse Leader based on his exceptional ability to do just that; shift a department's attitude from fear to one of courage.
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It is rare to find a manager who possesses exceptional leadership skills. Recently, I had a very bad shift and left work feeling frustrated and defeated. Our manager, Jeff Riedel, scheduled to meet with me regarding that shift. He displayed empathetic listening while I expressed my frustrations. During the meeting, he made me feel supported and validated my feelings. Over the next few days, I noticed he had implemented some changes and was continuing to try to improve the workflow. Fast forward to the preparations made for possible COVID-19 patients, I can see he is working hard to protect the staff and prepare before the impending impact. I have seen him out on the floor working later in the day, some weekends, and pulling longer hours than would be expected of him. At a time when coworkers from previous places of my employment are expressing to me how they feel their management is leaving them unprotected and overworked, I experienced our disaster plans starting to come together yesterday and could see he had heard staff's safety concerns for themselves and their family and worked out plans to try to go beyond what government agencies recommend. I appreciate our manager, Jeff, for listening to us and implementing plans quickly and effectively.
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I have been working at Saddleback for 18 plus years now and never seen the ER this organized before. Jeff has done an amazing job by staffing this unit and supplying us with resources that we need to do our everyday tasks. When I first started we only had one PCT to cover the entire night shift, now we have 2 plus. Thank you for all you do Jeff.
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A team leader is defined as "someone who provides guidance, instruction, direction, and leadership to a group of individuals for the purpose of achieving a key result or group of aligned results." Our ED manager Jeff embodies all of these qualities every single day, but it is more evident during this pandemic crisis. Jeff is leading the team by transforming the whole ED to provide better care for our patients, by providing the team proper PPE and safety guidelines, and by having his constant presence in the ED during this difficult time. Jeff is continuously sending out texts with new updates or just sending the team a motivational text on how he is proud of us. This alone instills confidence in myself and the team that we will conquer this together. Jeff is a role model of caring who provides a safe, nurturing environment so his staff can perform at their best and continue to grow professionally. I am so proud to be under his leadership in the ED.
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Jeff tries to know every single member of his ED team on a personal and professional level. He supports all ED members as much as he possibly can. Jeff goes above and beyond, working all hours, to implement new practices in the ED and approaches all with enthusiasm to support everyone during change. He is always trying to better the ED and many people can see the progress he has made for the department in such a short time. I think Jeff is deserving of this award because he is a true leader. He is someone to look up to and is very well respected in our department. He takes enough control to lead the department through changes but does so in a way to encourage everyone in doing their part. He is always available for questions or concerns and seriously considers recommendations and suggestions for improvement making everyone feel their voice is heard. Jeff is often seen on the floor and keeps himself really involved to understand problems within the unit. He has even covered my patients at the bedside to provide me a break when the hospital was providing holiday food. Jeff truly sticks up for his nurses and makes sure the entire department feels appreciated. I enjoy being a part of Jeff's team and hope this award shows him how much he is appreciated too!
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I have known Jeffrey Riedel since 2011. I have seen him grow in his nursing career from floor nurse to charge and now to ER manager. Over the past nine years, Jeff continued his own nursing education and encouraged me to do the same. He did this while maintaining two jobs and raising a family. Jeff's work ethic inspired me to take multiple nursing classes and grow my career knowledge. I admire his drive to better himself both professionally and personally. His managerial and leadership qualities inspire those around him to strive for the best possible quality of care for their patients. At the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, Jeff took an extremely proactive approach to ensure the safety of our unit. He organized the acquiring of PPE equipment, restructured the flow of patients, and put in more stringent hygiene safeguards to improve our quality of care. Jeff can inspire ideas, excitement and serves as a role model. Most importantly, he always encourages open communication to voice opinions and validates our suggestions. Jeff Riedel has created a better work environment with a sense of team camaraderie.
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I feel so thankful that although I transitioned from floor nursing to ER nursing during one of the most stressful times our nation's healthcare system has endured with a pandemic at hand, I already know I have a manager who leads with strength, confidence, optimism, and dedication. I've watched Jeff stay until late hours of the night, and show up at early hours of the morning, showing his staff that he's not only our advocate but one of us. He leads by example and leads with the reassurance that we will all be taken care of and advocated for as far as he's capable of. I appreciate that he's approachable and always provides a listening ear to his staff, showing that he respects the feelings, opinions, and feedback of his team, which has in return, gained him our respect.
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I feel so thankful to be able to be part of Saddleback Medical Center Emergency Department. Jeff has been a catalyst for the protection and success of the entire staff here. He always has a listening ear and brings so much encouragement to our team. These times have been stressful and exhausting, but he continues to bring confidence and optimism to our team. Thank you, Jeff for your hours of long, hard work. We see all your efforts, even the ones you think go unnoticed.