Kelly has been a long-term employee of this hospital and has served in many capacities, including CVICU, ED Manager, Trauma Program Manager, Float pool manager, and back to ED manager. She has always encouraged any educational opportunities for her staff, along with any opportunities for their personal growth, even if that means losing them as an employee.

For Kelly, mistakes are viewed as a learning opportunity, and not always a disciplinary action, these errors are growth opportunities. She frequently asks staff for their opinions on what will or will not work and why, she encourages staff involvement in every aspect.

I have listened to her speak with patients who are complaining, and she asks them the same questions, such as, "What can we do to make it better?" or "What can I do for you?" Kelly always advocates for the improvement of patient care; recently she purchased a cart and filled it with toys and distractions for sick kids who are in the ED, many of which she purchased herself. We are having meetings weekly with different nurse-led teams to improve patient care.

One nurse has developed a passion for improving patient care for those who have experienced a miscarriage. Kelly is gathering supplies to support those families and aiding this nurse in finding resources. She has aided multiple nurses to go through the SANE-A nursing program, to provide resources to the community. She has worked on grants to get the Safe Haven baby box. She is constantly looking for ways to improve the patient experience, including more comfortable chairs for family members, tablets and toys for kids, the buzzy bee distractors for kids (and adults) who are afraid of needles, encouraging family at the bedside, improving quality metrics times, and any nurse controllable event. She has worked to bring LPNs and Medics into the ER to act as nurse extensions. She is open to out-of-the-box suggestions and willing to try them before just saying no. She works hard to accommodate everyone's scheduling needs to improve staff satisfaction.

She goes above and beyond on every holiday to provide some sort of treat for staff including ancillary departments who frequent our area, just to show her appreciation. She is willing to help take care of patients and will come in anytime she is needed. I have already spoken of how she supports her staff through education and personal work-related growth, but she also reaches out on a personal level. Staff can come to her with a family or personal crisis, and she truly cares and will hold your hand and cry with you while offering whatever support might be needed. She truly loves her staff and goes above and beyond what is required daily.