Mike Knorr
May 2021
Michael
Knorr
,
MSN, RN, PCCN
Acute Care Medicine
ChristianaCare
Newark
,
DE
United States
Mike’s visibility, honesty, transparency, and authenticity make him a great leader.
When the call for nominations was announced, only one name came to mind for the multitude of nurse leaders within our “service line”. The following submission is a combined effort of about a dozen nurses who have had the pleasure of working alongside Mike. While each testimonial is unique to the indelible mark that he leaves upon his team, one thing remains the same; Mike leads by example, guided by the core values of excellence and love.
Mike’s visibility, honesty, transparency, and authenticity make him a great leader. He is supportive and clearly cares for his units and all of our nursing teams. This is evidenced by how comfortable staff feels in engaging him when he is walking through the units, whether it’s to voice a concern or just simply to say hi. He has helped our teams think creatively, ‘outside the box,’ in the challenging times of 2020. He is quick to advocate for patients and staff. He takes the time to make connections with each of his nurse managers and assistant nurse managers in a way that the entire conversation is not about work. He honestly cares about his team’s wellbeing and emphasizes a work-life balance.
Patient and staff safety is paramount to Mike’s work philosophy. He is very hands-on with regards to patient safety, whether it’s performing skin rounds on every unit with the staff or helping us navigate challenging situations that impede the plan of care. Staff safety is incredibly top of mind. Mike was instrumental in bringing Non-Violent Crisis Intervention through the Crisis Prevention Institute to Christiana, partnering with our Behavioral Health teams. He even serves as a course instructor to provide staff with the tools to be successful when dealing with aggressive patients and has popped in to assist staff when dealing with dicey situations.
Mike recognizes that the leadership dictates the staff experience which dictates the patient experience. He organized the COVID-19 Leader Rounding Program during the height of the pandemic, providing leadership coverage for his reporting units seven days a week. This ensured that staff is being supported on the off-shift and helped to troubleshoot the unique opportunities that the weekends can present. Managers expressed gratitude with this program allowing some work-life balance while staff has expressed gratitude about the consistent presence of leadership on the weekends to help escalate items that might normally have to wait until weekday operations.
Mike understands that the success of our profession is dependent on the recruitment and retention of the next generation of nurses. This is evidenced in his unwavering support of our Medical Nurse Residency Program. He makes his presence known to the nurses, offering support and encouragement along the way. The July 2020 MNRP included a very large number of nurses. With the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple unit moves and downsizing, there was worry among the MNRP nurses that there might not be enough positions on the medical units for the large number (30) of nurse residents. To combat this, Mike met with the MNRP three times during the 18 week program via TEAMS to update them on the multiple transitions that were taking place and to make sure they knew that they were supported and that there would be available positions at the end of their orientation. He has also been instrumental in the development of a MNRP RN III Liaison group in which there is a designated RN III on each unit to serve as the contact/support person for the MNRP nurses who rotate through their unit. Additionally, during the unit of hire process, Mike stays involved by meeting with the unit leadership teams to assure that the process is equitable. Through his actions, it is obvious that Mike truly cares about our new nurses in the MNRP and that he believes in supporting their development.
A testament to leadership is how one deals with crisis. This has never been more evident than over the past 10 months when navigating the changes to the healthcare landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this time, Mike has had many units undergo changes in becoming COVID-19 designated units, units taking on different staffing models, and unit increasing their census to meet the capacity demands of the organization. Mike has truly succeeded in creating a culture of sustainability among his units, modeling resilience during these trying times. He is quick to adapt and very collaborative to bring us along the journey.
One such nursing leader stated the following, “After the last ten months when I think of Mike Knorr, I will always think of his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year has brought out the worst in some people but also the very best in others. Mike has been a steady constant of modeling the best when it comes to work ethic, dedication to service of others, and compassion. Being a leader at his level during a time like this is often a thankless role. Fortunately, Mike does not seek the accolades and recognition—he just shows up. He shows up on off-shifts, he shows up on weekends, he shows up when we can’t figure out what to do next—and he does so in person as often as possible. Not all leaders strive to always have face-to-face communication, but in my experience, Mike always attempts to meet up in person, then will try a phone call and the last resort will be a Vocera message/text or email. Our staff readily refers to Mike as a leader they know well and see often. In a year where simple face-to-face interactions are minimal and so highly valued, I could not be more grateful for his demonstration of taking the extra time to be a physical presence whenever possible.”
An organization is only truly successful when the members believe in its mission statement and its vision. Mike successfully embodies all our core values and behaviors in such a way that staff have begun mirroring them as well. He is present in unit-based council meetings and Making Tomorrow Happen Huddles. When staff sees senior leadership is invested in them, it trickles down for staff to be invested in themselves. Mike truly listens to the staffs’ concerns and suggestions. They have seen their concerns rectified and suggestions implemented after talking with Mike, leading them to feel heard, valued, and leaders in their practice.
One of Mike’s greatest strengths is his ability to empower his team. In addition to being physically present, Mike has the incredible skill of sharing resources and knowledge. When a topic comes up, he genuinely will state he doesn’t know if he isn’t familiar with that item. However, he quickly follows up with a plan of contacting someone who is “an expert” in that area. He will, or he delegates someone else to, reach out to that expert so we can move forward. In this process, Mike always gives credit where credit is due. While this seems like a simple act, it truly helps ensure the movement of processes and is appreciated by all involved. These small acts help empower team members to ensure patient safety and excellent care. When Mike met with the unit practice councils, they expressed concern about their team being split up through the downsizing of their unit. He set realistic expectations with the practice council while encouraging them to write to senior leadership expressing their concerns and their desire to take on two units as one team. With Mike’s advocacy and support, this request came to fruition and empowered this staff to own their practice more than he will ever realize.
Mike is a huge advocate for appropriate staffing for his units, actively listening to frontline providers as the unit landscapes ebb and flow with higher acuity patients. He successfully advocated for an increase in the hours of care to assure that units taking an increased higher acuity population have the resources they need to be staffed safely. In an organization that has seen leadership changes over the years, it has often been stated by staff that he is the only VP that has truly listened and made significant efforts to support our frontline staff. It’s amazing how many staff he knows by name considering how many units he covers. His advocacy does not end with frontline staff as he often covers nurse leaders for their on-call schedule if they need a mental break.
Perhaps Mike’s greatest success lies in his openness and authenticity in his approach to interacting with staff. He is very open to hearing “brilliant and not so brilliant” ideas because he truly values the contributions of the team. Through his demeanor, he allows for staff to feel comfortable with approaching him and engaging in the process, empowering the next generation of nursing leaders. He believes in us in such a way that we work harder because we want to be better for him.
Mike’s impact extends beyond his staff into how we can better serve the needs of our community. Mike has been instrumental in helping to drive safer patient outcomes for our patients through advocating for the mobility technician role pilot to help ensure that patients who were admitted from home do not decondition in the hospital and are able to return to their residence. This also frees up our partners in the community at skilled nursing facilities to have open spaces for patients who truly need rehabilitation services. Mike is also a proponent of cohorting vulnerable patient populations to have a dedicated set of resources and specialized staff to serve them. His volunteerism extends with his team beyond the hospital setting as he recently “adopted” three children for Adopt-A-Christmas benefiting a local orphanage.
There are countless reasons why Mike is most deserving of this prestigious award, but it all boils down to his character. Not every manager is a leader, but we hit the jackpot as an organization to have Mike working with ChristianaCare. He leads by example, is true to his word, and most importantly cares about patients and staff. He is tireless in his support of his units and truly makes it a pleasure to come to work every day.
Mike’s visibility, honesty, transparency, and authenticity make him a great leader. He is supportive and clearly cares for his units and all of our nursing teams. This is evidenced by how comfortable staff feels in engaging him when he is walking through the units, whether it’s to voice a concern or just simply to say hi. He has helped our teams think creatively, ‘outside the box,’ in the challenging times of 2020. He is quick to advocate for patients and staff. He takes the time to make connections with each of his nurse managers and assistant nurse managers in a way that the entire conversation is not about work. He honestly cares about his team’s wellbeing and emphasizes a work-life balance.
Patient and staff safety is paramount to Mike’s work philosophy. He is very hands-on with regards to patient safety, whether it’s performing skin rounds on every unit with the staff or helping us navigate challenging situations that impede the plan of care. Staff safety is incredibly top of mind. Mike was instrumental in bringing Non-Violent Crisis Intervention through the Crisis Prevention Institute to Christiana, partnering with our Behavioral Health teams. He even serves as a course instructor to provide staff with the tools to be successful when dealing with aggressive patients and has popped in to assist staff when dealing with dicey situations.
Mike recognizes that the leadership dictates the staff experience which dictates the patient experience. He organized the COVID-19 Leader Rounding Program during the height of the pandemic, providing leadership coverage for his reporting units seven days a week. This ensured that staff is being supported on the off-shift and helped to troubleshoot the unique opportunities that the weekends can present. Managers expressed gratitude with this program allowing some work-life balance while staff has expressed gratitude about the consistent presence of leadership on the weekends to help escalate items that might normally have to wait until weekday operations.
Mike understands that the success of our profession is dependent on the recruitment and retention of the next generation of nurses. This is evidenced in his unwavering support of our Medical Nurse Residency Program. He makes his presence known to the nurses, offering support and encouragement along the way. The July 2020 MNRP included a very large number of nurses. With the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple unit moves and downsizing, there was worry among the MNRP nurses that there might not be enough positions on the medical units for the large number (30) of nurse residents. To combat this, Mike met with the MNRP three times during the 18 week program via TEAMS to update them on the multiple transitions that were taking place and to make sure they knew that they were supported and that there would be available positions at the end of their orientation. He has also been instrumental in the development of a MNRP RN III Liaison group in which there is a designated RN III on each unit to serve as the contact/support person for the MNRP nurses who rotate through their unit. Additionally, during the unit of hire process, Mike stays involved by meeting with the unit leadership teams to assure that the process is equitable. Through his actions, it is obvious that Mike truly cares about our new nurses in the MNRP and that he believes in supporting their development.
A testament to leadership is how one deals with crisis. This has never been more evident than over the past 10 months when navigating the changes to the healthcare landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this time, Mike has had many units undergo changes in becoming COVID-19 designated units, units taking on different staffing models, and unit increasing their census to meet the capacity demands of the organization. Mike has truly succeeded in creating a culture of sustainability among his units, modeling resilience during these trying times. He is quick to adapt and very collaborative to bring us along the journey.
One such nursing leader stated the following, “After the last ten months when I think of Mike Knorr, I will always think of his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year has brought out the worst in some people but also the very best in others. Mike has been a steady constant of modeling the best when it comes to work ethic, dedication to service of others, and compassion. Being a leader at his level during a time like this is often a thankless role. Fortunately, Mike does not seek the accolades and recognition—he just shows up. He shows up on off-shifts, he shows up on weekends, he shows up when we can’t figure out what to do next—and he does so in person as often as possible. Not all leaders strive to always have face-to-face communication, but in my experience, Mike always attempts to meet up in person, then will try a phone call and the last resort will be a Vocera message/text or email. Our staff readily refers to Mike as a leader they know well and see often. In a year where simple face-to-face interactions are minimal and so highly valued, I could not be more grateful for his demonstration of taking the extra time to be a physical presence whenever possible.”
An organization is only truly successful when the members believe in its mission statement and its vision. Mike successfully embodies all our core values and behaviors in such a way that staff have begun mirroring them as well. He is present in unit-based council meetings and Making Tomorrow Happen Huddles. When staff sees senior leadership is invested in them, it trickles down for staff to be invested in themselves. Mike truly listens to the staffs’ concerns and suggestions. They have seen their concerns rectified and suggestions implemented after talking with Mike, leading them to feel heard, valued, and leaders in their practice.
One of Mike’s greatest strengths is his ability to empower his team. In addition to being physically present, Mike has the incredible skill of sharing resources and knowledge. When a topic comes up, he genuinely will state he doesn’t know if he isn’t familiar with that item. However, he quickly follows up with a plan of contacting someone who is “an expert” in that area. He will, or he delegates someone else to, reach out to that expert so we can move forward. In this process, Mike always gives credit where credit is due. While this seems like a simple act, it truly helps ensure the movement of processes and is appreciated by all involved. These small acts help empower team members to ensure patient safety and excellent care. When Mike met with the unit practice councils, they expressed concern about their team being split up through the downsizing of their unit. He set realistic expectations with the practice council while encouraging them to write to senior leadership expressing their concerns and their desire to take on two units as one team. With Mike’s advocacy and support, this request came to fruition and empowered this staff to own their practice more than he will ever realize.
Mike is a huge advocate for appropriate staffing for his units, actively listening to frontline providers as the unit landscapes ebb and flow with higher acuity patients. He successfully advocated for an increase in the hours of care to assure that units taking an increased higher acuity population have the resources they need to be staffed safely. In an organization that has seen leadership changes over the years, it has often been stated by staff that he is the only VP that has truly listened and made significant efforts to support our frontline staff. It’s amazing how many staff he knows by name considering how many units he covers. His advocacy does not end with frontline staff as he often covers nurse leaders for their on-call schedule if they need a mental break.
Perhaps Mike’s greatest success lies in his openness and authenticity in his approach to interacting with staff. He is very open to hearing “brilliant and not so brilliant” ideas because he truly values the contributions of the team. Through his demeanor, he allows for staff to feel comfortable with approaching him and engaging in the process, empowering the next generation of nursing leaders. He believes in us in such a way that we work harder because we want to be better for him.
Mike’s impact extends beyond his staff into how we can better serve the needs of our community. Mike has been instrumental in helping to drive safer patient outcomes for our patients through advocating for the mobility technician role pilot to help ensure that patients who were admitted from home do not decondition in the hospital and are able to return to their residence. This also frees up our partners in the community at skilled nursing facilities to have open spaces for patients who truly need rehabilitation services. Mike is also a proponent of cohorting vulnerable patient populations to have a dedicated set of resources and specialized staff to serve them. His volunteerism extends with his team beyond the hospital setting as he recently “adopted” three children for Adopt-A-Christmas benefiting a local orphanage.
There are countless reasons why Mike is most deserving of this prestigious award, but it all boils down to his character. Not every manager is a leader, but we hit the jackpot as an organization to have Mike working with ChristianaCare. He leads by example, is true to his word, and most importantly cares about patients and staff. He is tireless in his support of his units and truly makes it a pleasure to come to work every day.