Bedside nurses deserve to be showered with accolades for their commitment and proximity to patient care. These front-line workers are the face of Atrium Health, but there are countless teammates whose work behind the scenes empowers all of us to improve health, elevate hope, and advance healing – for all. Like superheroes, these masked nurse leaders work in anonymity to save lives and help others. This DAISY Nomination Story will attempt to describe the super-human efforts of a nurse leader who would probably prefer to remain anonymous (sorry about that). Her compassionate and skillful care kept an operating room running smoothly in the aftermath of a teammate’s tragedy.

On a daily basis, Tanza Szep , RN, Supervisor University City Operating Room (OR), is committed to meeting the needs of all the OR patients, OR teammates, OR family members, physicians, and anyone coming to her office with an unsolvable problem. If you walk past the University City OR Manager’s office, you will observe Tanya and her manager listening empathetically to concerns from teammates, offering solutions to urgent needs, and sometimes rushing out the door to ensure that our patients are never waiting on their surgeries. This nurse leadership team is truly the Dynamic Duo as their partnership upholds patient safety in the University City OR.

In December 2022, the Dynamic Duo was separated, and Tanya had to carry the load of the OR by herself for the first time. The husband of Tanya’s manager was involved in a car accident, and he became a patient in the ICU at CMC. While Tanya’s teammate was facing the worst crisis of her life, Tanya continued to keep their department exceeding standards during the day and supported her teammate at night. Tanya never complained about the Dynamic Duo being broken up or the extra workload. Every time I checked-in on Tanya to see how she was coping with managing alone, she always told me the same thing: “I wish that I could do more!” Through super-human efforts, she compassionately led over 40 teammates during this confusing season and still supported the other departments who relied upon the OR. More importantly, she was there for her teammate and friend.

A few days before Christmas, we received news that our teammate’s husband died. This tragedy sent a ripple of grief throughout University City. Tanya continued to support her friend and encouraged her to take time to heal before returning to work. This selfless love meant that Tanya would need to carry the workload until the Dynamic Duo could be reunited, which could take months. Their partnership was founded upon compassionate care for patients, family members, and teammates. Tanya’s focus remained unchanged during this season, and she was not alone. She had the validation of her leaders, and the support of her partner in crime. Tanya’s manager knew that she could carry the department during her bereavement leave, and she was correct. Furthermore, Tanya’s example of selfless love for a teammate was inspiring. Tanya supported our teammate while she was on bereavement leave by calling her daily, visiting her at home, and offering hospitality whenever it was needed. She kept us updated so that we could offer our teammate space to grieve, and she even passed along our condolences.

When the dynamic duo was ready to be reunited in the University City OR, Tanya met our teammate in the parking lot on her first day back from leave, and they walked in together. It was a beautiful picture of compassionate care, commitment, and teamwork. This image represents the Dynamic Duo’s dedication to their teammates and their patients because they are in it together. If Tanya read this nomination, she would probably say, “I did not do anything special!” Personally, I saw and felt Tanya’s impact on our teammates, patients, and family members. It was the greatest display of compassion that I have witnessed in a decade of hospital chaplaincy. Thank you, Tanya!