It is quite difficult to capture in words how extraordinary this nurse leader is and what a great impact she has on all those with whom she interacts. There’s no doubt that the last couple of years has been anything other than challenging. She has worked tirelessly to manage one of the hardest hit healthcare units within our system. During this time, she has been unwavering in her resilience, dependability, commitment, and tenacity to her unit team, as well as to her HFH team. She conducts herself with professionalism, integrity, and respect. Above all, her compassion is highly evident and shines through. Her compassion for patients – going above and beyond to meet their needs, ensuring even what may seem like the tiniest of concerns is addressed, and taking whatever time is necessary to allow them to be not only listened to but truly heard.

Despite having an overwhelming To-Do List, this individual never simply walks by a person or situation. She is often seen at a patient’s bedside assisting with patient needs. She acknowledges all whom she passes with a greeting and inquiry about how they are doing and if they need anything. She does not avoid or delay difficult conversations but approaches them head-on seeking resolution for all participants. The same holds true for her compassion for her team. She is somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody.

As a leader, it is often difficult to allow for just the right amount of wiggle room with rules, regulations, and policies, all while remaining fair and consistent whilst doing so. Yet she does this so very well. She sees every person as a unique individual with unique needs. She focuses on bringing out strengths vs highlighting weaknesses. She takes her team’s concerns to heart and wrestles with the optimal way to meet their unique individual needs while still meeting the needs of the team as a whole. I have never heard her utter the words, “I don’t care” or “that’s not important” - even behind closed doors in a safe space. (She certainly would have been justified to utter these words at times.) She puts care into every thought, every decision, and every action. No voiced concern, issue, or need goes unaddressed.

This last year, like all of us, she has had a great deal on her plate. She has successfully managed her team through this pandemic, again one of the hardest affected healthcare units within our system. She has advocated for her team and patient needs with effective collaboration with Supply Chain, EVS, Employee Health, the medical team, Respiratory Therapy, Dietary, Clinical Engineering, Plant Operations, Staffing, and so many more. When weary and exhausted, she provided three months of interim administrative coverage for a unit with many unique demands. Treating this unit as her own; managing it with the same effort and dedication without allowing any complex part to fall through the cracks. She coordinated planning, preparation, training, implementation, and ongoing support of not only her own unit’s Project Mobility roll-out, but also paved the way for similar structured units in her area and did it all again for the unit she covered in the interim.

She is devoted to excellence. She has not lost focus on quality, or patient and team satisfaction. She thinks outside the box. She craves and desires to bring new ideas, and especially joy to her team – even at a personal cost. She celebrates her team members, personally and professionally.

On a personal note, three years ago I took a leap to work closely day in and day out with this individual whom I had never met prior. Despite having a large team, she would be the one person whom I would work the closest with. This makes her an integral part of my happiness in my career. She has become part of My Why? Why do I stay at Henry Ford Health in the position I am in? It is her. The days I want to march into her office and throw in the nursing towel, I walk out with tears in my eyes from the laughter we share. I walk out ready to face the next challenge that comes my way and with the desire to be better than I was. She inspires me, lifts me up, instills confidence in me, guides me, motivates me, and thankfully, believes I already am better than I was. She never judges me. She continually demonstrates true care and concern for, and support of, my well-being. It doesn’t hurt that she also laughs (sometimes with a little side-eye or eye-roll) at my punny jokes. I have grown very fond of her. I have high respect and admiration for her. I appreciate her more than I could ever express. She exemplifies the qualities of the nurse manager I want to lead the team caring for my loved ones.