Although Andrew has only been the nurse manager on our unit for just over a year, his contributions have been innumerable. Andrew seamlessly transitioned from a unit staff nurse to nurse manager position and, despite his young age, carries himself with a level of maturity and respect that a seasoned veteran would have. Coming from a staff nurse position, Andrew had experienced first-hand what it is like to work on our unit and was well versed in some of the areas that we needed improvement in. He wasted no time in implementing some of his ideas on how to make those improvements (even when his position was interim) and his hard work is evident in our day to day practice. He has filled several nursing and support staff positions, reworked our staffing to allow interested nurses the opportunity to work 3 12-hr shifts, gave senior staff the option to work less rotating off shift, ordered us several pieces of equipment and implemented a Nurse of the Year award. His presence is felt constantly on the unit and he is always available to step in when help with patient care is needed or if there is a patient concern/issue that needs leadership involvement. He advocates for his staff and has earned the respect of many of our most seasoned veteran nurses. His passion and dedication to the unit are evident every day and I look forward to working with Andrew for a long time.
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Andrew transitioned from staff nurse to nurse manager on our unit during a time at Jefferson when there was a lot of anxiety over the big changes that were taking place. Our unit was also experiencing a staffing shortage due to nurses moving to other positions at both Jefferson and other hospitals in addition to several nurses on medical leave. Despite these obstacles, Andrew took on the new job with enthusiasm and an energy that was contagious. He clearly remembered the issues that were most concerning to him as a staff nurse and tackled them one at a time. Having gone to school to "learn" the role of the nurse manager he brought a skill set to the job which enabled him to bring our unit into the 2000s. Examples of this are increasing staffing numbers, creative utilization of existing staff and recognizing the years of longevity that nurses on our unit so desperately needed. Andrew encourages each member of the 7 West team to grow to their full potential and trusts each of us to do our jobs without micromanaging us. Knowing that he is there if needed, we are more secure in being independent in our practice. Andrew is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.