I have been an RN for 40 years and have worked under the direction of numerous leaders. This Nurse Manager inspires me every day with her leadership of our busy, complex department. She coaches, mentors and challenges our team members and me to be the best we can be and she practices the BayCare values in her leadership of our team and expects all of us to practice those same values. I feel like I have finally found a leader I can truly say that I am proud to follow!
She is the type of leader and person who motivates you to want to be better. She does this so seamlessly; not by asking you to, not by hinting you should, but by example. Just as the hospital has grown, so has she. She started as a staff nurse, then worked as the charge, then ANM, and has flourished into the amazing manager that she is now. The majority of our team has worked in surgical services for ten or more years. A few on this team have worked in surgical services closer to 20 years. The team agrees that she is by far the best manager we have ever worked with. I say, "Worked With" because that is how she manages. She works with her team. She advocates for the entire team by getting us the equipment and supplies we need. She leads by example by holding herself to the same expectation that she holds her team. She would never ask anyone on her team to do something she is not willing to do herself. She addresses the problems of the unit with compassion, fairness, and understanding. She is professional and straightforward when it comes to making difficult decisions. She is very transparent and keeps the team informed of the events, reports, and expectations in regards to surgical services. She encourages a positive culture by not only shining a light on areas of improvement but also acknowledging the efforts and the positive things the team has accomplished. She reminds us all every day to appreciate each other and show it.
She comes from a clinical background and has worked in many different roles. With the exception of surgical technologist, you name the task and she will do it. If we have staffing issues, or just need an extra pair of hands, she has no problem putting on scrubs and jumping in. She has also been known to come in on evenings and weekends as a resource for the team. She is always available even when not physically in her office.
This Nurse Manager is intimately involved with her team. She cares about each team member's happiness, health, and well-being. She makes sure we are never without assistance. She offers herself to cover for employees who are urgently sent to the ER or who have received calls of family members' deaths while on the job. She is known to reach out and check on all employees when they are out of work temporarily. She has raised money for a team member who lost all of their belongings in a fire- after the team member had already moved on to work elsewhere. Most recently, we had a team member who suffered a miscarriage while at work and needed emergency surgery. She treats us all as if we are her family. She came in after 7 pm to sit with the team member as she waited to come to the OR, she helped transport her to OR and stayed with her family to ensure they were not left alone in the waiting room. This is not the first time she has done this for one of our team members.
She is supportive in good and in bad times. She has been known to bring things to a team member's attention if she notices something is "off" in order to assist that team member. Some of our team members have experienced situations in their personal life affecting their performance at work. Instead of reprimanding them for their performance, she will always speak to them privately first and help if possible. Many times, her acknowledgment and support alone quickly corrects that team member's actions.
The leader personifies shared governance. She is the type of leader who will encourage and listen to each other. She will take in all feedback and suggestion and truly consider them. She does not use her authority to tell us what and how to do it, she uses her authority to encourage us to be accountable and take responsibility for the culture we want in our department.
Safety is a huge priority for her. That includes the safety of our patients, our team members, our physicians, and our guests.
She seeks ways to improve her department, facility, and organization outside of management. She participates in almost every event such as the heart walk, breast cancer walk, dressing up as Mrs. Claus for the children of our community, swimming in the dunk tank during hospital week to help raise money, and participating in team building activities.
A true leader does not focus on what makes them better, a true leader focuses on making those around them better - she is a true leader. She is amazing, professional, classy, and compassionate with the highest standards I have experienced in healthcare. Our team collectively believes she is the best manager any of us have ever had and likely ever will. She is truly a pleasure to work with.
Meredith Quimby-Chames is a true DAISY Nurse Leader!