After many years working in both corporate and nursing professions, I can say that many people become managers, but only a gifted few are leaders. I have been lucky to have worked for some great leaders. My current leader, Kim Wheeler, if compared to a sunflower, is the one who grows just a little taller.

From the time I applied to nursing school, I knew whom I was finally meant to be. Unfortunately, 7 years into my nursing career, I also came all too close to ruining my career due to unrecognized burnout. It was at this point that Kim Wheeler entered my life. I had noticed how professional, thorough, and collaborative her nurses were whenever any of them brought me patients. I inquired about opportunities on her team. Despite the fact there was (I believe) an active HR progressive disciplinary file about me, Kim openly engaged me as a person, as fallible as the next, and saw not my history as much as my potential.

In the time since becoming one of her team members, I have truly seen how remarkable and exceptional she is. She exemplifies compassionate care and a positive attitude, but not in a superficial management way. That is, she is honest with staff. Even when reporting news that may feel negative, she emphasizes how we all can best endure and overcome certain situations. She receives all feedback and suggestions with the skills of a consummate listener, always making her teammate feel heard - even if (as I've seen) that person's comment(s) may be frivolous or insignificant. She follows through on everything!

She is always talking up staff (in our unit and others), practitioners, and Novant Health to our patients. The sense of well-being she creates for both patient and nurse with a bedside visit is akin to a warm wave of calm and serenity. I would describe her as nonplused, but that cheapens how deeply in her heart I know she cares about our patients, staff, and unit. I'd better describe her as someone with fully developed emotional intelligence. While a manager will run a unit day-to-day, a leader ponders and proactively encourages a unit to grow and change. Again, Kim is an exemplar in this regard. She encourages all - as in a one-to-one conversation - to seek professional development, whether additional education or professional certification. She regularly and heartily advocates for and facilitates (as needed) her nurses to seek their Clinical Ladder.

Personally, I felt this process was overwhelming, and did not know how to start or if I even qualified. She spent time with me and on her own to make sure I got off to a good start. I am now nearing my Clinical Ladder application. She challenges her staff to take on new responsibilities, at all times giving them training and resources. When I left floor nursing, I thought I'd never have the stress of charge nurse again. I was afraid to take on such a role in PACU, but Kim knew that I could do it (much more than I thought I could) and understood my feelings about it. She was always available - and remains so - at all hours if I have questions or concerns about developing situations.

While I hope the above qualities and examples demonstrate the extraordinary leadership of Kim, there is yet another area I must mention, the icing on the cake so to speak. Kim is earnestly engaged in ensuring we also grow personally. She sends out mindfulness e-mails, asks about personal goals, and emphasizes stress reduction in our lives. She genuinely cares about our personal life and understands the impact they have on our work self. I love being a nurse. I truly cannot imagine being anything else professionally. If Kim were to tell me she was leaving nursing leadership, pursuing an entirely new profession, and wanted me to follow her, I would most certainly give it long consideration.