Benjamin Dempsey
May 2025
Benjamin
Dempsey
,
MSN, RN, PCCN, CNL
Atrium Health University City
Charlotte
,
NC
United States
In an inpatient environment that can be incredibly demanding, Ben’s engaged, supportive, and motivating leadership has made a profound difference.
I am honored to recognize Benjamin Dempsey for the DAISY Leader Award in recognition of his exceptional leadership, steadfast dedication to staff, and unwavering commitment to cultivating a positive, supportive, and high‑performing work environment.
I had the privilege of working closely with Ben when he assumed the manager role for both the third and fourth floors during my time as his clinical supervisor. From the very beginning, Ben stepped into this role with an incredibly positive attitude and a clear vision for meaningful, sustainable change. His leadership presence was immediately felt. One of the first things our team noticed was the intentional time and effort he invested in genuinely getting to know each team member, creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere on the units.
One of Ben’s most impactful initiatives was offering individual 1:1 sessions to every staff member. He opened his calendar to ensure everyone had dedicated time, not only to get to know him as a leader, but to ensure each team member felt heard, valued, and supported. These conversations created a safe space for staff to share concerns, ideas, and feedback, fostering trust and open communication. Ben’s dedication to engagement was evident, and he even provided a small welcome gift to each staff member during their 1:1, a thoughtful gesture that left a lasting impression.
Ben consistently demonstrated his commitment to staff by maintaining a strong and visible presence on the units. He spent extensive time learning team dynamics and understanding the unique challenges faced by both day and night shifts. Frequently working well beyond expected salaried hours, Ben showed up, listened, and learned alongside his team. His presence was deeply appreciated and significantly strengthened morale and trust across all shifts.
Most recently, Ben played a pivotal role in elevating staff recognition during Nurses Week. He developed a robust, thoughtfully planned calendar that included a form of recognition or reward for staff every single day of the week. He went above and beyond by collaborating with the education team to organize a skills fair, intentionally selecting topics based on feedback he had heard directly from nurses and healthcare technicians and identifying areas where staff would appreciate refreshers. This initiative demonstrated his ability to listen, innovate, and connect appreciation with professional development. Ben also shared this calendar with the inpatient leadership team, gaining significant buy‑in from other managers and expanding opportunities for recognition across units—magnifying the positive impact well beyond his own.
Recognition and appreciation are central to Ben’s leadership style. He consistently celebrated staff milestones, birthdays, and anniversaries, simple yet powerful gestures that made team members feel seen and valued. He reorganized unit spaces, ensured proper supplies were ordered, and worked diligently to improve workflow and productivity, ultimately creating a healthier, more supportive work environment.
Ben’s commitment to mentorship extends far beyond his direct reports. While he has been an extraordinary mentor to me, supporting my professional growth and guiding my transition into my current manager role, he has also stepped in to mentor others across the unit. With his background and experience in education, Ben provided invaluable guidance to our unit educator, offering creative ideas and encouraging innovative approaches to address unit needs. He supported her in thinking differently and confidently implementing solutions, ultimately strengthening unit education and practice.
I have also witnessed Ben encourage growth among our clinical supervisors. When both the third and fourth floors were under his leadership, he intentionally fostered connection within the leadership team by organizing an outing for all clinical supervisors, creating a fun and meaningful experience that strengthened relationships. He truly created a culture shift, not only on the units themselves, but within the leadership team, fostering collaboration, trust, and shared purpose.
That culture shift extended to bedside teammates as well. Ben implemented highly organized and purposeful staff meetings, complete with robust agendas that reflected preparation, transparency, and respect for staff time. He planned and posted staff meeting dates for the entire year in advance, giving staff greater flexibility and ability to attend. During these meetings, Ben was open and transparent about areas of opportunity, while simultaneously empowering staff to be part of the solution. He created initiatives such as the weekly focus, encouraging practices like team admissions, where bedside nurses, charge nurses, healthcare technicians, and available staff work together to admit patients as a group—promoting teamwork, improving workflow, and creating a strong first impression for patients and families.
Ben has an exceptional ability to meet people where they are. For me personally, that meant supporting me through nerves and anxiety as a new leader. He shadowed me during leader rounding, provided thoughtful and constructive feedback, and supported my growth while maintaining encouragement and trust. He coached me through my first year‑end reviews, provided resources to ensure my success, observed my first review to offer feedback, and welcomed me to observe one of his so I could learn by example. His mentorship has had a lasting impact on my confidence, leadership skills, and professional growth.
Leadership transitions can be stressful, yet Ben approaches change with optimism, transparency, and compassion. He balances accountability with empathy and connection, creating an environment where high standards are met through support rather than fear. His leadership is deeply respected because staff know he listens, understands challenges, and consistently reinforces that we are in this together.
Ben repeatedly goes above and beyond to elevate morale and demonstrate appreciation. From his “12 Days of Christmas” initiative to participating in Thanksgiving potlucks and personally providing breakfast for staff working on Christmas Day, his actions consistently show authentic respect for the bedside team.
In an inpatient environment that can be incredibly demanding, Ben’s engaged, supportive, and motivating leadership has made a profound difference. His influence has strengthened morale, teamwork, leadership development, and patient care outcomes. Benjamin Dempsey is a trusted and safe presence for his team—someone colleagues turn to for guidance, growth, and support.
He encourages, motivates, and challenges others to grow while providing meaningful, thoughtful feedback that empowers success. Ben embodies the very essence of the DAISY Leader Award, and I wholeheartedly believe he is exceptionally deserving of this recognition.
I had the privilege of working closely with Ben when he assumed the manager role for both the third and fourth floors during my time as his clinical supervisor. From the very beginning, Ben stepped into this role with an incredibly positive attitude and a clear vision for meaningful, sustainable change. His leadership presence was immediately felt. One of the first things our team noticed was the intentional time and effort he invested in genuinely getting to know each team member, creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere on the units.
One of Ben’s most impactful initiatives was offering individual 1:1 sessions to every staff member. He opened his calendar to ensure everyone had dedicated time, not only to get to know him as a leader, but to ensure each team member felt heard, valued, and supported. These conversations created a safe space for staff to share concerns, ideas, and feedback, fostering trust and open communication. Ben’s dedication to engagement was evident, and he even provided a small welcome gift to each staff member during their 1:1, a thoughtful gesture that left a lasting impression.
Ben consistently demonstrated his commitment to staff by maintaining a strong and visible presence on the units. He spent extensive time learning team dynamics and understanding the unique challenges faced by both day and night shifts. Frequently working well beyond expected salaried hours, Ben showed up, listened, and learned alongside his team. His presence was deeply appreciated and significantly strengthened morale and trust across all shifts.
Most recently, Ben played a pivotal role in elevating staff recognition during Nurses Week. He developed a robust, thoughtfully planned calendar that included a form of recognition or reward for staff every single day of the week. He went above and beyond by collaborating with the education team to organize a skills fair, intentionally selecting topics based on feedback he had heard directly from nurses and healthcare technicians and identifying areas where staff would appreciate refreshers. This initiative demonstrated his ability to listen, innovate, and connect appreciation with professional development. Ben also shared this calendar with the inpatient leadership team, gaining significant buy‑in from other managers and expanding opportunities for recognition across units—magnifying the positive impact well beyond his own.
Recognition and appreciation are central to Ben’s leadership style. He consistently celebrated staff milestones, birthdays, and anniversaries, simple yet powerful gestures that made team members feel seen and valued. He reorganized unit spaces, ensured proper supplies were ordered, and worked diligently to improve workflow and productivity, ultimately creating a healthier, more supportive work environment.
Ben’s commitment to mentorship extends far beyond his direct reports. While he has been an extraordinary mentor to me, supporting my professional growth and guiding my transition into my current manager role, he has also stepped in to mentor others across the unit. With his background and experience in education, Ben provided invaluable guidance to our unit educator, offering creative ideas and encouraging innovative approaches to address unit needs. He supported her in thinking differently and confidently implementing solutions, ultimately strengthening unit education and practice.
I have also witnessed Ben encourage growth among our clinical supervisors. When both the third and fourth floors were under his leadership, he intentionally fostered connection within the leadership team by organizing an outing for all clinical supervisors, creating a fun and meaningful experience that strengthened relationships. He truly created a culture shift, not only on the units themselves, but within the leadership team, fostering collaboration, trust, and shared purpose.
That culture shift extended to bedside teammates as well. Ben implemented highly organized and purposeful staff meetings, complete with robust agendas that reflected preparation, transparency, and respect for staff time. He planned and posted staff meeting dates for the entire year in advance, giving staff greater flexibility and ability to attend. During these meetings, Ben was open and transparent about areas of opportunity, while simultaneously empowering staff to be part of the solution. He created initiatives such as the weekly focus, encouraging practices like team admissions, where bedside nurses, charge nurses, healthcare technicians, and available staff work together to admit patients as a group—promoting teamwork, improving workflow, and creating a strong first impression for patients and families.
Ben has an exceptional ability to meet people where they are. For me personally, that meant supporting me through nerves and anxiety as a new leader. He shadowed me during leader rounding, provided thoughtful and constructive feedback, and supported my growth while maintaining encouragement and trust. He coached me through my first year‑end reviews, provided resources to ensure my success, observed my first review to offer feedback, and welcomed me to observe one of his so I could learn by example. His mentorship has had a lasting impact on my confidence, leadership skills, and professional growth.
Leadership transitions can be stressful, yet Ben approaches change with optimism, transparency, and compassion. He balances accountability with empathy and connection, creating an environment where high standards are met through support rather than fear. His leadership is deeply respected because staff know he listens, understands challenges, and consistently reinforces that we are in this together.
Ben repeatedly goes above and beyond to elevate morale and demonstrate appreciation. From his “12 Days of Christmas” initiative to participating in Thanksgiving potlucks and personally providing breakfast for staff working on Christmas Day, his actions consistently show authentic respect for the bedside team.
In an inpatient environment that can be incredibly demanding, Ben’s engaged, supportive, and motivating leadership has made a profound difference. His influence has strengthened morale, teamwork, leadership development, and patient care outcomes. Benjamin Dempsey is a trusted and safe presence for his team—someone colleagues turn to for guidance, growth, and support.
He encourages, motivates, and challenges others to grow while providing meaningful, thoughtful feedback that empowers success. Ben embodies the very essence of the DAISY Leader Award, and I wholeheartedly believe he is exceptionally deserving of this recognition.