J. Adam King
August 2023
J. Adam
King
,
BSN, RN, NE-BC, CCRN-K
Cardiology ICU 8 Center
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States
Adam is an elevated example of what a nursing manager should be. He has high standards for his nurses when it comes to unit/hospital policies and patient safety. He is compassionate for all different kinds of people and populations. He is an advocate for his staff and truly cares about us.
I am a RN on 8 Campus at HUP. I have been a RN on 8 Campus since May 2022, but have been a nurse at HUP for 4 years. The Nurse Leader I would like to nominate is my unit manager Adam King. I believe he is an exemplary leader and advocates not only for safe and elevated patient care, but also for his staff. This is my third position as a bedside RN in Philadelphia, and I have never experienced management as caring, diligent, hardworking, present, and fair as Adam. When I first started here, one of the first things I heard from staff was how impressed they were with Adam and how much they loved him. In my journey as an RN on 8 Campus, I quickly learned where that admiration came from.
One strength of Adam is that he is an amazing advocate for culturally competent care. He also advocates and educates for populations that are often stigmatized in the hospital setting. For example, he urges staff to change the way people commonly refer to patients who may be suffering from addiction or mental illness. Also, when I mentioned I wanted to help raise money for Pride Month, he immediately connected me to the Presby Pride group. Because of Adam's connections and quick thinking, we helped them raise over $11,000 for the Trevor Foundation by selling t-shirts hospital-wide. In addition to his human-compassion, he is a vegan because of how much he cares about animal rights. All in all, whether you are a human or an animal, Adam holds a lot of compassion for you!
Another attribute that Adam holds that differentiates him from the average manager is that he fiercely advocates for his staff. I have honestly never felt so safe and cared for by a manager in any setting. If he even hears that there is a difficult social situation in a patient room or if a patient is verbally abusive, he will personally approach you, ask you how you are doing, and later have a conversation with the patient or family member about behavioral expectations at the hospital. This is so important for burn-out and nurse safety. Actions like this will directly help the nursing retention rate at HUP and everyone knows how profoundly expensive it is to train new hire nurses. Nurses are humans too and as much as we care about our patients, there is no reason to endure unnecessary abuse.
I had a personal situation with a patient family that was not only being abusive and inappropriate with me, but performing actions that were directly harmful to the patient as well. I actually called management on my day off because I was so disturbed by my experiences that weekend. I also wanted feedback on how I could have differently handled that particular situation. First, Adam told me that I do not need to wait until management is physically present on campus to escalate concerns. Second, he validated the experience by listening to my story without judgement. Third, he made immediate action to come up with a plan for that patient and visiting family members. Fourth, he reiterated that my priorities were correct- patient safety and patient care. Adam and my assistant nurse manager made me feel so supported in a situation that left me feeling so insecure and frustrated. I immediately knew that this was a place where management would have my back and support me when obstacles arose.
All-in-all, Adam is an elevated example of what a nursing manager should be. He has high standards for his nurses when it comes to unit/hospital policies and patient safety. He is compassionate for all different kinds of people and populations. He is an advocate for his staff and truly cares about us. He is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.
***
I have been an employee of Adam King’s since December 2022, when I started my first job at HUP as a Student Nurse. This past May, I graduated and accepted a CNI position in the CICU under Adam King’s management.
Over the past year and a half, I have grown to appreciate the work ethic and leadership Adam possesses. Adam not only holds safe patient-centered care as the top priority, but he also prioritizes and acts as an advocate for his employees. Aside from ensuring excellent patient care delivery, Adam always greets each of his staff with a smile and a kind word - continuously checking in to see how we nurses are doing, ensuring we always feel recognized, heard, safe, and supported.
As a new graduate nurse, it was important to me that I accept a job where I feel supported by my manager and coworkers that look out for each other. 8 Campus holds a special bond and strives together, all credit owed to Adam King’s outstanding nurse leadership skills.
***
I am a Registered Nurse on 8 Campus Pavilion CICU/PCU at HUP. I would like to recognize my nurse manager Adam King. I started as a RN in 2002 (yes, 21 years ago!) on Founders 8, the former CCU. Over the past 21 years, my coworkers have become like family to me. We take exceptional care of each other and our patients. Three and a half years ago, our nurse manager, Adam King, also became part of our family. His ability to provide a sense of stability and security to our unit is tremendous. During his time as our nurse manager, he has made significant changes and improvements to our unit.
Before Adam became our manager, we often did not have adequate support on night shifts. Charge nurses would end up with assignments at night, as well as take on the responsibilities of our unit secretary and Certified Nursing Assistant, all while our unit's acuity was increasing greatly. Adam advocated to provide us with adequate staffing and gave us more resources to support our patients in a safe way. For that reason, I am grateful to Adam for acknowledging our concerns about safety and providing quality patient care. This is especially important as we transitioned to the new hospital.
What personally touched me about Adam was when Covid hit home. In March of 2020, we had our first covid patient. I was one of the first nurses who took care of the covid patient. We had suspicions that the patient may have the novel coronavirus so we proactively placed him in isolation prior to getting that confirmed diagnosis. I was so scared because of the unpredictability of virus. The weekend that the quarantine began, it was my birthday; I went out with my family. During that time, I felt so guilty that I may have exposed other people to the deadly virus. I came back to work in tears because I felt so guilty. I expressed my feelings to Adam. Adam took me to his office; he reassured me with his compassionate, calming, and intelligent manner that if I followed all procedures and protocols for patients on airborne precautions then I did not have exposure to covid. At that moment, I realized that I did not put other people at risk. I felt so relieved and thankful. Having a nurse manager like Adam in our unit during covid made me feel safe and supported throughout the pandemic.
What also amazes me about Adam is that he always puts his staff and the unit’s needs first. He is always approachable for any issues or questions; I never have to hesitate to call or text him late at night or early morning for any concerns. Adam consistently leads by example: he is prompt and decisive when responding to us and he encourages and influences his staff to achieve their maximum potential. It is clear in each decision that he makes that he has the best interest of 8 Campus staff and patients at the front of his mind. He truly exhibits all the qualities of an excellent leader and is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.
***
Mr. King has been an extraordinary manager to everyone on 8 Campus. I am confident that this statement represents everyone I work with here on this unit. He has created such a supportive and safe environment for everyone, including patients and their family members. I have worked here for almost two years now, and there have not been times when I have experienced negative interaction with him or heard negative comments from others. Mr. King has been kind, caring, and inspiring staff to continue to improve the health outcomes of our patients. He represents not only this unit but the entire hospital as a loving, caring, professional, and effective leader. He is truly a role model and an exemplary leader anyone could ask for. We are fortunate and forever grateful for having called him our “boss!”
One strength of Adam is that he is an amazing advocate for culturally competent care. He also advocates and educates for populations that are often stigmatized in the hospital setting. For example, he urges staff to change the way people commonly refer to patients who may be suffering from addiction or mental illness. Also, when I mentioned I wanted to help raise money for Pride Month, he immediately connected me to the Presby Pride group. Because of Adam's connections and quick thinking, we helped them raise over $11,000 for the Trevor Foundation by selling t-shirts hospital-wide. In addition to his human-compassion, he is a vegan because of how much he cares about animal rights. All in all, whether you are a human or an animal, Adam holds a lot of compassion for you!
Another attribute that Adam holds that differentiates him from the average manager is that he fiercely advocates for his staff. I have honestly never felt so safe and cared for by a manager in any setting. If he even hears that there is a difficult social situation in a patient room or if a patient is verbally abusive, he will personally approach you, ask you how you are doing, and later have a conversation with the patient or family member about behavioral expectations at the hospital. This is so important for burn-out and nurse safety. Actions like this will directly help the nursing retention rate at HUP and everyone knows how profoundly expensive it is to train new hire nurses. Nurses are humans too and as much as we care about our patients, there is no reason to endure unnecessary abuse.
I had a personal situation with a patient family that was not only being abusive and inappropriate with me, but performing actions that were directly harmful to the patient as well. I actually called management on my day off because I was so disturbed by my experiences that weekend. I also wanted feedback on how I could have differently handled that particular situation. First, Adam told me that I do not need to wait until management is physically present on campus to escalate concerns. Second, he validated the experience by listening to my story without judgement. Third, he made immediate action to come up with a plan for that patient and visiting family members. Fourth, he reiterated that my priorities were correct- patient safety and patient care. Adam and my assistant nurse manager made me feel so supported in a situation that left me feeling so insecure and frustrated. I immediately knew that this was a place where management would have my back and support me when obstacles arose.
All-in-all, Adam is an elevated example of what a nursing manager should be. He has high standards for his nurses when it comes to unit/hospital policies and patient safety. He is compassionate for all different kinds of people and populations. He is an advocate for his staff and truly cares about us. He is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.
***
I have been an employee of Adam King’s since December 2022, when I started my first job at HUP as a Student Nurse. This past May, I graduated and accepted a CNI position in the CICU under Adam King’s management.
Over the past year and a half, I have grown to appreciate the work ethic and leadership Adam possesses. Adam not only holds safe patient-centered care as the top priority, but he also prioritizes and acts as an advocate for his employees. Aside from ensuring excellent patient care delivery, Adam always greets each of his staff with a smile and a kind word - continuously checking in to see how we nurses are doing, ensuring we always feel recognized, heard, safe, and supported.
As a new graduate nurse, it was important to me that I accept a job where I feel supported by my manager and coworkers that look out for each other. 8 Campus holds a special bond and strives together, all credit owed to Adam King’s outstanding nurse leadership skills.
***
I am a Registered Nurse on 8 Campus Pavilion CICU/PCU at HUP. I would like to recognize my nurse manager Adam King. I started as a RN in 2002 (yes, 21 years ago!) on Founders 8, the former CCU. Over the past 21 years, my coworkers have become like family to me. We take exceptional care of each other and our patients. Three and a half years ago, our nurse manager, Adam King, also became part of our family. His ability to provide a sense of stability and security to our unit is tremendous. During his time as our nurse manager, he has made significant changes and improvements to our unit.
Before Adam became our manager, we often did not have adequate support on night shifts. Charge nurses would end up with assignments at night, as well as take on the responsibilities of our unit secretary and Certified Nursing Assistant, all while our unit's acuity was increasing greatly. Adam advocated to provide us with adequate staffing and gave us more resources to support our patients in a safe way. For that reason, I am grateful to Adam for acknowledging our concerns about safety and providing quality patient care. This is especially important as we transitioned to the new hospital.
What personally touched me about Adam was when Covid hit home. In March of 2020, we had our first covid patient. I was one of the first nurses who took care of the covid patient. We had suspicions that the patient may have the novel coronavirus so we proactively placed him in isolation prior to getting that confirmed diagnosis. I was so scared because of the unpredictability of virus. The weekend that the quarantine began, it was my birthday; I went out with my family. During that time, I felt so guilty that I may have exposed other people to the deadly virus. I came back to work in tears because I felt so guilty. I expressed my feelings to Adam. Adam took me to his office; he reassured me with his compassionate, calming, and intelligent manner that if I followed all procedures and protocols for patients on airborne precautions then I did not have exposure to covid. At that moment, I realized that I did not put other people at risk. I felt so relieved and thankful. Having a nurse manager like Adam in our unit during covid made me feel safe and supported throughout the pandemic.
What also amazes me about Adam is that he always puts his staff and the unit’s needs first. He is always approachable for any issues or questions; I never have to hesitate to call or text him late at night or early morning for any concerns. Adam consistently leads by example: he is prompt and decisive when responding to us and he encourages and influences his staff to achieve their maximum potential. It is clear in each decision that he makes that he has the best interest of 8 Campus staff and patients at the front of his mind. He truly exhibits all the qualities of an excellent leader and is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.
***
Mr. King has been an extraordinary manager to everyone on 8 Campus. I am confident that this statement represents everyone I work with here on this unit. He has created such a supportive and safe environment for everyone, including patients and their family members. I have worked here for almost two years now, and there have not been times when I have experienced negative interaction with him or heard negative comments from others. Mr. King has been kind, caring, and inspiring staff to continue to improve the health outcomes of our patients. He represents not only this unit but the entire hospital as a loving, caring, professional, and effective leader. He is truly a role model and an exemplary leader anyone could ask for. We are fortunate and forever grateful for having called him our “boss!”