In my 12 years of bedside nursing for Kaiser, Rosalinda Gonzalez is the best manager I have had the privilege to know and work for. She brings light and positivity to a job where so many are burned out. She genuinely cares about her staff and our patients and gets to know us all on a personal level. She takes time from her very hectic day to welcome us into her peaceful office, and offers a warm smile and a snack! She’s fair, compassionate, and approachable. I believe that a manager’s job is incredibly difficult, they must deal with so many competing agendas. They must balance Kaiser's expectations of them with their own staff's expectations and still be present for service recovery issues that arise with patient care. They juggle so many employees and all the personal issues that come along with that, while also trying to have a life, family, and friends of their own. They are always on call and are held accountable for actions that really aren’t theirs. Numbers in surveys whether positive or negative are supposed to reflect them. To also add a pandemic into this job and navigate this with changing policies and protocols with an illness that we are all still learning about seems impossible. To be a manager during this time and to be a truly GREAT manager seems obsolete, but somehow Rosalinda continues to smile through it. To support us regardless of what I know SHE has looming over her own shoulders. Her teamwork with our also amazing ADAs is always evident. They round and check in with the charges every day, making sure each patient gets a chance to speak to a leader.

I have witnessed Rosalinda interact with a very hostile family member who didn’t agree with Kaiser's policy about visitors and masks; she was the picture of grace and tranquility through it all. She continues to remain optimistic through staffing issues, complaints from staff, and any other unit problems that arise. She offers help to the floor staff when we need it and knows whom to ask if questions come up that she doesn’t have the answer for.

Our break room and report room each received makeovers when she transitioned to become our manager as well as our storage spaces. She noticed things those previous managers simply hadn’t and did something about it quickly. When we asked for more vital machines, thermometers for every room, and flashlights, they magically appeared. It’s empowering for us to feel seen, heard, understood, and appreciated for what we do. That saying “people will forget what you said, but they will never forget the way you made them feel” makes me think of her. I am so grateful for her and the lessons I received from working with her. I know that I will never forget the way she made me feel in her presence and her trust and belief in me as a nurse and person.