Joan Riggs
May 2021
Joan
Riggs
,
MSN, RN-BC, CCRN
Geriatric Med-Surg/Telemetry
Mount Sinai South Nassau
Oceanside
,
NY
United States
Joan’s compassion and enthusiasm are something that will forever stay with me.
I have had the pleasure of working with Joan for 4.5 years. I started as a new nurse on her unit and have become the nurse I am today because of her. She was not only my nurse manager, but my mentor and friend as well. Although I do not work directly under her leadership at this time, she is still someone I go to for guidance and someone I know I can always confide in.
Starting as a new nurse can be very overwhelming and intimidating. Joan facilitated a smooth transition for me from student nurse to RN. She treats all of her employees like her own children. She nurtures them and supports them in everything they do. She created a unit where all of the staff is also supportive of each other, and she created a unit centered around teamwork. As a new nurse, this was very comforting to know that I can depend on my team no matter what. She always encourages team bonding inside and outside of work. We have organized many events over the years including staff barbeques, bowling events, and pool parties. At work she is always planning birthday celebrations, going away parties, baby showers, and bridal showers. Due to this, her staff has a special bond that makes everyone feel like family. I was very lucky to be welcomed into this family as a new nurse.
Joan will defend her staff no matter what and it is very reassuring to know that she always has your back. She always goes out of her way to ensure her staff has the necessary tools and staffing to do their jobs. Even on weekends and holidays, she calls the unit to ensure everything is running smoothly. She even came into work on Christmas one year to celebrate with the staff members who had to work the holiday. She also always buys the staff holiday gifts and organizes a secret Santa for all of the staff to participate in.
There was one year that we had a patient who was on F4 for nearly a year and this patient did not have family or friends who visited her. Joan welcomed this patient into our family. This patient desperately wanted to get her hair done so Joan spoke with the physicians and got approval for us to dye and cut her hair. When this patient got tired of looking outside from her hospital window, Joan got approval for us to take her outside to get some fresh air. Joan, along with her staff, went shopping and bought this patient new clothes and makeup so she could feel more at home. When this patient was still hospitalized for Thanksgiving, Joan organized a Thanksgiving dinner for this patient and our staff. Even after this patient was discharged, Joan continued to consider this patient part of our family and she arranged for a few of us to visit her at the facility. This is just one patient and one example of how Joan goes above and beyond for all of her patients.
Joan’s compassion and enthusiasm are something that will forever stay with me. Joan not only taught me compassion but also taught me numerous clinical skills as well. Joan sets very clear expectations and holds her staff to certain standards. This helps achieve better patient outcomes. She uses her experience as a former critical care nurse to educate her staff and teach them how to critically think. During rapid responses and emergency situations, Joan is always present and very hands-on with the patient and staff.
Over the years, Joan encouraged me to be involved in many different committees and events within the hospital. She got me involved in our unit-based council which I later became the co-chair of. She made me our unit's wound care champion which opened many opportunities for me and eventually led to me becoming Wound Care Certified. Joan gave me the opportunity to attend the Magnet Conference and NICHE conferences. All of these opportunities and experiences have made me into the nurse I am today.
After 4.5 years of working under Joan Riggs, I decided to apply to critical care. This was one of the hardest decisions for me to make. I couldn’t imagine leaving because I felt like I was leaving my family and at this point, Joan had grown into my “work mom”. Just as any mom would normally do, Joan encouraged me to pursue this new position and ensured that I was adequately prepared for it. She supported me in this transition, as well as my transition to the cath lab, and 3 years later still supports me and encourages me in everything I do. She remains a mentor to me and continues to inspire me to be the best nurse I can be. Joan Riggs is everything a nurse leader should be and more.
Starting as a new nurse can be very overwhelming and intimidating. Joan facilitated a smooth transition for me from student nurse to RN. She treats all of her employees like her own children. She nurtures them and supports them in everything they do. She created a unit where all of the staff is also supportive of each other, and she created a unit centered around teamwork. As a new nurse, this was very comforting to know that I can depend on my team no matter what. She always encourages team bonding inside and outside of work. We have organized many events over the years including staff barbeques, bowling events, and pool parties. At work she is always planning birthday celebrations, going away parties, baby showers, and bridal showers. Due to this, her staff has a special bond that makes everyone feel like family. I was very lucky to be welcomed into this family as a new nurse.
Joan will defend her staff no matter what and it is very reassuring to know that she always has your back. She always goes out of her way to ensure her staff has the necessary tools and staffing to do their jobs. Even on weekends and holidays, she calls the unit to ensure everything is running smoothly. She even came into work on Christmas one year to celebrate with the staff members who had to work the holiday. She also always buys the staff holiday gifts and organizes a secret Santa for all of the staff to participate in.
There was one year that we had a patient who was on F4 for nearly a year and this patient did not have family or friends who visited her. Joan welcomed this patient into our family. This patient desperately wanted to get her hair done so Joan spoke with the physicians and got approval for us to dye and cut her hair. When this patient got tired of looking outside from her hospital window, Joan got approval for us to take her outside to get some fresh air. Joan, along with her staff, went shopping and bought this patient new clothes and makeup so she could feel more at home. When this patient was still hospitalized for Thanksgiving, Joan organized a Thanksgiving dinner for this patient and our staff. Even after this patient was discharged, Joan continued to consider this patient part of our family and she arranged for a few of us to visit her at the facility. This is just one patient and one example of how Joan goes above and beyond for all of her patients.
Joan’s compassion and enthusiasm are something that will forever stay with me. Joan not only taught me compassion but also taught me numerous clinical skills as well. Joan sets very clear expectations and holds her staff to certain standards. This helps achieve better patient outcomes. She uses her experience as a former critical care nurse to educate her staff and teach them how to critically think. During rapid responses and emergency situations, Joan is always present and very hands-on with the patient and staff.
Over the years, Joan encouraged me to be involved in many different committees and events within the hospital. She got me involved in our unit-based council which I later became the co-chair of. She made me our unit's wound care champion which opened many opportunities for me and eventually led to me becoming Wound Care Certified. Joan gave me the opportunity to attend the Magnet Conference and NICHE conferences. All of these opportunities and experiences have made me into the nurse I am today.
After 4.5 years of working under Joan Riggs, I decided to apply to critical care. This was one of the hardest decisions for me to make. I couldn’t imagine leaving because I felt like I was leaving my family and at this point, Joan had grown into my “work mom”. Just as any mom would normally do, Joan encouraged me to pursue this new position and ensured that I was adequately prepared for it. She supported me in this transition, as well as my transition to the cath lab, and 3 years later still supports me and encourages me in everything I do. She remains a mentor to me and continues to inspire me to be the best nurse I can be. Joan Riggs is everything a nurse leader should be and more.