It’s been said that a leader is great, not because of his/her power, but because of his/her ability to empower others. And such it is with Erica Reilly, Nurse Manager of the Neuroscience Unit and Neuro ICU at Northside Hospital Gwinnett. Erica exemplifies what it means to be a DAISY Nurse Leader in every sense of the word. She is professional and caring, and she leads her staff consistently and fairly. She has earned respect among her staff and peers and leads her team toward positive outcomes. She is smart, intuitive, and quick-witted and epitomizes the hard work and dedication of what it takes to be an effective nurse leader. Erica leaves no stone unturned when it comes to leading for patient care outcomes, and she is a passionate nurse advocate. Most importantly, Erica is a problem-solver and she knows how to get things done. Every decision Erica makes stems from one question, “Is this in the best interest of the patient?” Not only is Erica a true servant leader, but she also freely gives her time to her professional nursing organization, committees, and her community. She is passionate about organ donation and leads the Donation Committee, including all of the activities planned for this week, and encourages others to do the same. When challenged to mitigate restraint utilization in our neuro patient population, Erica led her team to victory by recognizing a 40% decrease in patient restraints in just six months. Erica also challenged her team to optimize patient safety by increasing medication and patient armband scanning. Again, her leadership influence recognized a 13% increase in armband scanning compliance and an 18% increase in medication scanning compliance, of which both indicators are at 98%!!! Optimizing the patient experience is a passion of Erica’s and year over year, the HCAHPS overall rating has increased by 26 percentile points, and the Nursing Domain has increased by 23 percentile points.

Her direct supervisor describes Erica in this fashion: “Erica is a very conscientious leader who gives careful attention to detail during her daily operational routines. She is an energetic nurse leader who is respected by her colleagues, and her attitude, spirit, and work ethic are contagious. In her service to patients as well as her collaborative relationships with other nurse leaders and physicians, Erica has learned to work with a variety of different personalities and has become quite proficient in dealing with people of diverse backgrounds and needs. In her current role as Nurse Manager of the Neuroscience Unit, Erica has demonstrated professional and exemplary leadership and managerial skills second to none. She is deemed competent in every venue of patient care operations and in the principles of evidence-based leadership. Erica has mentored many new nurses entering the nursing profession and has molded them into the highly skilled and competent professionals they are today. Our profession, our organization, and our community are better today because of Erica’s leadership and commitment to the mission, vision, and values of our organization. Without any hesitation at all, I wholeheartedly believe that Erica is deserving of the DAISY Nurse Leader Award and hold her high in this regard.”