This nurse exemplifies what it means to be a DAISY Nurse Leader. I have been a member of this leader’s team for a very short period of time, but she quickly became a role model for me. This nurse thinks about how to do the most good for the most number of people, collects evidence, and follows through and follows up on her commitments. She is honest and transparent, which is a quality of hers that many educators and employees throughout the system respect. She doesn’t give up. When she knows that educators across our system need something, she follows the appropriate channels to advocate to get staff what they need. When thinking about the image of education, that is this leader. She is one of the most loved, well-respected, and sought resources for educators and employees across the system to share her wealth of knowledge, brainstorm new ideas, or simply be a sounding board for complaints. She is a champion of change and ensures that patient safety and quality are at the heart of education within our system.

She is currently looking into the way that educators and staffing challenges are impacting the quality of care that patients receive. She makes it a priority to meet monthly with the Quality Educators to review the HAC dashboard, score cards, and assist with improvements. Another monthly meeting that this leader hosts is TEACH. TEACH is a place for educators to gather together to receive news about system updates, initiatives, or changes. Before or after TEACH, you can find a line of educators waiting to talk to her. Recently, she has implemented leader rounding, which the Educators have loved. However, it is clear, that she is the leader they want to talk to the most. She allows people to be themselves, and express themselves and takes all of their feedback seriously. I recently took notes for her that were over a page long of things that educators wanted or needed. She followed up on every single item within a matter of weeks. That is just one example of the dedication that this nurse leader has to improving education and being an accountable leader for Educators.

Another way that she leads the Educators is by inspiring a shared vision. One of the things that she has been working on with her Campus Education Team is collaboration across Campuses. This has not been a popular change, but she backs this initiative with the Children’s mission of One Children’s. She not only supports system initiatives, but provides implementation planning, support, and follow-up to educators. She also stands up for what she believes in, and what she believes is in the best interest of the Educators and our patients. That is why when information comes from her, she is typically well-supported.

In my new role, she has been so supportive of me. She has continually checked in on me, gone above and beyond to provide the tools necessary for me to be successful, and has created and allowed for opportunities to help me grow. She is by far, one of the best leaders I have ever reported to. She is so appreciative of her team and all of the work they do.

This year, she essentially led The Joint Commission file review with zero findings. All week long, she encouraged her team and educators across the system that they were doing a great job and provided 24/7 support while preparing files for the file review. She was quick to celebrate the people on her team, but we could not have done this without her! She loves to offer shout outs and celebrations. The thing I love the most about the way she celebrates people is that she celebrates them in the way they appreciate being celebrated, whether that’s a verbal thank you, written card, a celebration, or a shout out. For all of these reasons and more, I want to recognize her as demonstrating on a daily basis what it means to be a true DAISY Nurse Leader.