Joe is a great role model for all levels of staff. He models professional behavior while working with patients and other staff members. Joe always gets to work before 0730 so that he can connect with the night shift before they leave. He is a great communicator, prompt to reply to email and requests. He is very responsive to staff needs, requests, and ideas.
Joe is polite even during difficult conversations, whether it be with patients, families, or staff. He always acts in a professional manner, while displaying confidence and authority when the situation calls for it.
He continually goes above and beyond with our patients whether it is taking them to the bathroom during caregiver rounding or finding creative means to meet their needs. Joe is not afraid to get his hands dirty. Even in his shirt and tie, Joe will help with boosting, transferring, and assisting patients with bathroom duties. When he is on the floor, he is often one of the first people to start running towards a bed alarm. This is a prime example of his role modeling behaviors.
Joe has created a trusting environment on our unit. His door is always open to listen to caregiver concerns, family concerns, or just be a shoulder to lean on. On an oncology unit, we often experience very sad situations with patients we have gotten very close to. Joe understands that sometimes as a caregiver, we need to be able to vent or blow off steam. He is always willing to let that happen in a safe environment. On more than one occasion, Joe has passed a Kleenex box towards a caregiver while empathetically listening as they poured out emotions in his office after a taxing shift. Additionally, Joe has often enlisted the help of a grievance counselor in order to meet the caregiver's needs.
Joe also promotes professional development within the unit and works hard to get all caregivers involved. He takes concerns, thoughts, and ideas to the ACC and finds a way to ensure everyone's voice is heard. Joe is a major advocate for bedside nurses to attend conferences, lectures, grand rounds, and other continuing education and professional development events. Just this year multiple staff members had the opportunity to attend a myriad of conferences, including an out-of-state conference.
As mentioned above, part of what makes Joe an excellent leader is that he models the behavior that is expected of his caregivers. He supports nursing staff in regard to making ethical decisions and consultation with the ethics committee.
Mutual respect is not easily attained, and I once came across a quote that read, "Employees don't quit their job, they quit their boss." The first thought that came across my mind was .... NO WAY! I couldn't believe that because I and my fellow co-workers agree, that we have a wonderful manager. Joe has created an atmosphere and work environment that people enjoy working in. The grass is not always greener on the other side, but it is pretty green on 12S and a lot of the credit goes to Joe.
Joe motivates staff with enthusiasm to achieve better outcomes. We are often updated on our patient satisfaction scores and understand the importance of achieving great scores. This year our unit adapted to a new tool for nursing assistant assignments. Once this was established, our patient satisfaction scores greatly improved, and Joe used the data to show staff our interventions were successful. He understands that change is difficult and that there will be bumps along the way, but he encourages staff to "stick it out" or "give it time" and in the end, our positive outcomes show that change can be a good thing! Joe is a cheerleader for positive change, and his personality gets others on board. At the same time, he understands that frustrations accompany culture change and this trait allows for common ground between Joe and his caregivers.
Joe promotes nursing among Aurora St. Luke's and the organization as a whole. He continually advocates for the bedside nurse and encourages various committees to have the perspective of nursing when making decisions and changes that directly impact nursing and patient care. Joe also sits on various workgroups and committees and his contributions enhance the overall image of nursing.
Caregivers on 12S are often encouraged to work within the community. Twice a year caregivers volunteer to bring donations to Zilber Family Hospice during Easter and Christmas and then nursing staff volunteer their time handing out gifts and spending time with patients and their families during the holidays. We also contribute through other volunteering events and display professionalism throughout the community with attendance to programs and nursing based events. This promotes a positive image of nursing within the Aurora system and the community and Joe is a big promoter of these activities.
Joe is an excellent manager to work for, and a phenomenal leader. He treats caregivers fairly and truly cares about each one of us, both as his employees and as individuals outside of work. He shows up for work before the night shift leaves in order to check in with them after their shift. He is often collaborating with the day shift charge nurse to be sure the unit is running smoothly and that people are happy. He is continually available to staff during off shifts, weekends, and holidays. He listens to our concerns and acts fast to implement a strategy to solve any problems. He cares about people, he cares about this hospital and the patients we serve. Joe is a DAISY Nurse Leader to 12S Oncology!