Patrick Hess
February 2024
Patrick
Hess
,
DNP, RN, NI-BC, CEN
Nursing Administration
Kaiser Permanente Irvine Medical Center
Irvine
,
CA
United States
Not many people can honestly say their work has touched the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of patients, families, and colleagues. A purposeful career such as this is a triumph!
With over 40 years of experience in the field of healthcare, a career becomes more than a job, but truly a lifetime achievement. Not many people can honestly say their work has touched the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of patients, families, and colleagues. A purposeful career such as this is a triumph!
Dr. Patrick Hess started his career in healthcare as a Respiratory Therapist in the early 80s. From there, he began an educational journey that made him the epitome of a “life-long learner”! Both long and prestigious, the list of his academic accolades and achievements is impressive. He completed a Nursing degree at Purdue University, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Indiana (Go—Hoosiers!), and a master’s degree in healthcare at Notre Dame. The journey continued as he achieved a second master’s in nursing administration from the University of Illinois and then took a small—probably much need—break before earning his graduate certification in Medical Informatics, becoming a certified Clinical Informatics Specialist Nurse. The most recent accolade and icing on his academic career, Patrick achieved a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Cal State Fullerton during one of the most challenging times in healthcare history, the COVID-19 pandemic. Patrick, our hats are off to you – the ultimate overachiever!
Patrick is the one who gave a coworker the nudge to go back to school and even signed up to be her preceptor and mentor through the process. In fact, he has served as an academic preceptor and mentor to many Kaiser Permanente staff working on their advanced degrees, both from Irvine and beyond.
Beyond his academic triumphs, his work as a nurse is impressive and extensive. He has worked as a staff nurse in the Emergency Department and PACU, as a manager, as an administrator, and even as an assistant vice president. He has worked in prestigious hospitals such as Northwestern Memorial in Chicago, New York Presbyterian, Hoag Newport Beach, and Los Angeles’ Cedars Sanai before finding a home here at Kaiser Irvine in 2012. With his extensive operational knowledge and informatics expertise, we have been incredibly lucky to have him with us for the last 12 years.
There was a time when he used to show up every day in a shirt and tie, but more recently, you can see him in scrubs and daily rounding on each unit, providing support to every staff member he encounters on every unit. Everyone knows him as a great resource, a clinical expert, and a reliable team member. He has worked on more rollouts and initiatives than can be counted, serving as a content expert and liaison for the local team in adopting technology to improve the lives of patients and staff alike. As a leader, he most certainly always has the answer, and as a partner and collaborator, he definitely provided humor when it was much needed.
Within and beyond these walls of Kaiser Irvine, Patrick is an accomplished presenter and author. For several years, he co-led our Research and EBP council and recently was instrumental in the publication of the team’s research study, “The effects of a DNR on patient care,” in the XXXX International Journal. He has led the informatics committee for some time and has supported endless other committees with ad hoc expert content. He is also one of the finest editors and APA experts that KP Irvine’s Magnet Document benefited from.
Dr. Patrick Hess started his career in healthcare as a Respiratory Therapist in the early 80s. From there, he began an educational journey that made him the epitome of a “life-long learner”! Both long and prestigious, the list of his academic accolades and achievements is impressive. He completed a Nursing degree at Purdue University, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Indiana (Go—Hoosiers!), and a master’s degree in healthcare at Notre Dame. The journey continued as he achieved a second master’s in nursing administration from the University of Illinois and then took a small—probably much need—break before earning his graduate certification in Medical Informatics, becoming a certified Clinical Informatics Specialist Nurse. The most recent accolade and icing on his academic career, Patrick achieved a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Cal State Fullerton during one of the most challenging times in healthcare history, the COVID-19 pandemic. Patrick, our hats are off to you – the ultimate overachiever!
Patrick is the one who gave a coworker the nudge to go back to school and even signed up to be her preceptor and mentor through the process. In fact, he has served as an academic preceptor and mentor to many Kaiser Permanente staff working on their advanced degrees, both from Irvine and beyond.
Beyond his academic triumphs, his work as a nurse is impressive and extensive. He has worked as a staff nurse in the Emergency Department and PACU, as a manager, as an administrator, and even as an assistant vice president. He has worked in prestigious hospitals such as Northwestern Memorial in Chicago, New York Presbyterian, Hoag Newport Beach, and Los Angeles’ Cedars Sanai before finding a home here at Kaiser Irvine in 2012. With his extensive operational knowledge and informatics expertise, we have been incredibly lucky to have him with us for the last 12 years.
There was a time when he used to show up every day in a shirt and tie, but more recently, you can see him in scrubs and daily rounding on each unit, providing support to every staff member he encounters on every unit. Everyone knows him as a great resource, a clinical expert, and a reliable team member. He has worked on more rollouts and initiatives than can be counted, serving as a content expert and liaison for the local team in adopting technology to improve the lives of patients and staff alike. As a leader, he most certainly always has the answer, and as a partner and collaborator, he definitely provided humor when it was much needed.
Within and beyond these walls of Kaiser Irvine, Patrick is an accomplished presenter and author. For several years, he co-led our Research and EBP council and recently was instrumental in the publication of the team’s research study, “The effects of a DNR on patient care,” in the XXXX International Journal. He has led the informatics committee for some time and has supported endless other committees with ad hoc expert content. He is also one of the finest editors and APA experts that KP Irvine’s Magnet Document benefited from.