Mary Pat Sullivan
October 2024
Mary Pat
Sullivan
,
MSN, RN, CNS, CENP
Corporate
Overlook Medical Center
Summit
,
NJ
United States
If you treat your patients as Mary Pat would, it will be with nursing excellence and kindness, ultimately resulting in a positive patient experience and outcome. Mary Pat was always on a mission to cultivate and grow the next generation of nurses.
It is with great honor that I nominate Mary Patricia Sullivan for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. DAISY recognizes extraordinary, compassionate nurses who promote the profession and grow the next generation. Not only does this define Mary Pat, but it was she who approved establishing the DAISY Award at Overlook Medical Center.
In 2007, Mary Pat’s AHS career began as the Chief Nursing Officer at OMC, and in 2021, she transitioned to Director of Nursing Education and Professional Practice at Corporate. Mary Pat has been a role model and beacon of light to all Overlook Medical Center nurses, from novice to expert. No one exemplifies the PRIDE values, Swanson’s Theory of Caring, and the DAISY Mission more than Mary Pat Sullivan.
Mary Pat was clearly the cornerstone and advocate for the establishment of Shared Governance and professional development at OMC. I began working closely with Mary Pat during my tenure on Shared Governance, and as I progressed from member to co-chair to chair, my interactions with her increased dramatically. She was our cheerleader, support and voice of reason when our goals became too lofty! She listened, steered, and guided us, all while helping us to grow and develop into the next generation of leaders. She exposed us to experiences and new knowledge we would not have been privileged to, if not for her guidance and counsel. I was in awe of her system wide operational knowledge, hospital responsibilities, and moreover her genuine warmth. It amazed me how the CNO could be such a caring, kind individual to all employees, while dealing with the organization on a whole. She greeted staff by name and always remembered some “tidbit” about the individual. This also occurred and still occurs in the community. She is always visiting with a patient from the community, meeting them for lunch, or helping their family navigate the healthcare system. She truly is everything to everyone who comes in contact with her.
It became evident with the advent of the 'CHAT with MaryPat' that Mary Pat had an inherent ability to connect with all nurses and a genuine concern to hear them. Mary Pat never separated herself from the staff nurse by her level of leadership in the institution. She was ALWAYS “one of us” with an open-door policy. Whether it was participating in the annual Block Party or delivering difficult news, Mary Pat was always an engaged, professional advocate for the nursing staff. And then, in 2020, the world was hit by Covid. While Mary Pat had a well-established relationship with the OMC staff, chaos and uncertainty ensued. Every Wednesday, she presented at the ZOOM meeting with Alan Lieber and Jack Audett. While the news was not always optimistic, Mary Pat delivered it with grace and compassion and ALWAYS ended the meeting with a positive comment. These comments lifted the spirits of nursing and helped to guide us through the dark and difficult days. The nursing staff looked forward to the Wednesday updates for factual information, support, and heartfelt words from their CNO.
Our maiden Magnet voyage set sail during Covid. With her Magnet background, Mary Pat helped us navigate unchartered waters and advised us on our journey to excellence. She was a true mentor and transformational leader who empowered us with the tools for success and was always there to celebrate our Overlook nursing victories.
It was always her excellence as a role model that advanced nursing practice and the patient experience. If you treat your patients as Mary Pat would, it will be with nursing excellence and kindness, ultimately resulting in a positive patient experience and outcome. Mary Pat was always on a mission to cultivate and grow the next generation of nurses. This started on Saturday mornings when, as the CNO of Overlook Medical Center, she would meet prospective nurses. Low pressure meet and greets, over a cup of coffee, at a local diner, became her signature pre-interview for new, novice, nurses. It is no doubt that her new role as Director of Nursing Education and Professional Practice is a perfect fit for growing a garden filled with the next generation of DAISY Nurses.
While Mary Pat has moved on to a new role at Corporate, she has made a lasting impact on Overlook Medical Center and its nurses by leading with the DAISY vision of providing extraordinary care with her brain and her heart.
In 2007, Mary Pat’s AHS career began as the Chief Nursing Officer at OMC, and in 2021, she transitioned to Director of Nursing Education and Professional Practice at Corporate. Mary Pat has been a role model and beacon of light to all Overlook Medical Center nurses, from novice to expert. No one exemplifies the PRIDE values, Swanson’s Theory of Caring, and the DAISY Mission more than Mary Pat Sullivan.
Mary Pat was clearly the cornerstone and advocate for the establishment of Shared Governance and professional development at OMC. I began working closely with Mary Pat during my tenure on Shared Governance, and as I progressed from member to co-chair to chair, my interactions with her increased dramatically. She was our cheerleader, support and voice of reason when our goals became too lofty! She listened, steered, and guided us, all while helping us to grow and develop into the next generation of leaders. She exposed us to experiences and new knowledge we would not have been privileged to, if not for her guidance and counsel. I was in awe of her system wide operational knowledge, hospital responsibilities, and moreover her genuine warmth. It amazed me how the CNO could be such a caring, kind individual to all employees, while dealing with the organization on a whole. She greeted staff by name and always remembered some “tidbit” about the individual. This also occurred and still occurs in the community. She is always visiting with a patient from the community, meeting them for lunch, or helping their family navigate the healthcare system. She truly is everything to everyone who comes in contact with her.
It became evident with the advent of the 'CHAT with MaryPat' that Mary Pat had an inherent ability to connect with all nurses and a genuine concern to hear them. Mary Pat never separated herself from the staff nurse by her level of leadership in the institution. She was ALWAYS “one of us” with an open-door policy. Whether it was participating in the annual Block Party or delivering difficult news, Mary Pat was always an engaged, professional advocate for the nursing staff. And then, in 2020, the world was hit by Covid. While Mary Pat had a well-established relationship with the OMC staff, chaos and uncertainty ensued. Every Wednesday, she presented at the ZOOM meeting with Alan Lieber and Jack Audett. While the news was not always optimistic, Mary Pat delivered it with grace and compassion and ALWAYS ended the meeting with a positive comment. These comments lifted the spirits of nursing and helped to guide us through the dark and difficult days. The nursing staff looked forward to the Wednesday updates for factual information, support, and heartfelt words from their CNO.
Our maiden Magnet voyage set sail during Covid. With her Magnet background, Mary Pat helped us navigate unchartered waters and advised us on our journey to excellence. She was a true mentor and transformational leader who empowered us with the tools for success and was always there to celebrate our Overlook nursing victories.
It was always her excellence as a role model that advanced nursing practice and the patient experience. If you treat your patients as Mary Pat would, it will be with nursing excellence and kindness, ultimately resulting in a positive patient experience and outcome. Mary Pat was always on a mission to cultivate and grow the next generation of nurses. This started on Saturday mornings when, as the CNO of Overlook Medical Center, she would meet prospective nurses. Low pressure meet and greets, over a cup of coffee, at a local diner, became her signature pre-interview for new, novice, nurses. It is no doubt that her new role as Director of Nursing Education and Professional Practice is a perfect fit for growing a garden filled with the next generation of DAISY Nurses.
While Mary Pat has moved on to a new role at Corporate, she has made a lasting impact on Overlook Medical Center and its nurses by leading with the DAISY vision of providing extraordinary care with her brain and her heart.