Intensive Care Unit Nurse Manager
What is your role at Community Healthcare System?
I am the Intensive Care Unit Nurse Manager at St. Mary Medical Center.
What was your inspiration for getting into healthcare?
My dad and sister both had terminal cancer. My mom is a nurse, and she took care of them at home. Seeing that care was my inspiration for going to nursing school. My dad and sister ended up passing away five weeks apart, so I feel like I know what people are going through with their loved ones in the ICU, and I wanted to extend that compassion to them.
What is a typical day like for you?
The best part of my job is that I can never say it is monotonous. To start my day, I always check in with my team and get an overview of the unit. I attend daily leadership meetings in the morning. From there on out, I pivot and constantly reprioritize all day long, based on what needs to be taken care of. First and foremost, I try to foster a great culture that goes beyond just managing the staff. When I’m not connecting and engaging with staff, I am involved in hiring, scheduling onboarding of new nurses, staff evaluations, patient and staff rounding, responding to patients’ concerns, balancing and posting our operational schedule and more.
How long have you been employed here?
I started in July of 2011.
What are some of the big changes you have experienced in this position?
The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant culture change to healthcare and, for me, professional growth. I have spent six years as a manager, including managing two COVID units, which helped me further develop my leadership skills and helped me recognize that I needed to prioritize investing more in myself and promoting that for my team as well.
What are some of your interests outside of work? What is your favorite local gem?
My favorite local gem is Albano’s. It is the best Italian food. The owner is now operating out of LambStone Cellars in Valparaiso. During COVID, the owner, Nick, ended up donating trays of food to the ICU nurses at St. Mary Medical Center and refused to accept money for it. Outside of work, I like to be involved in some kind of project. I really like crafts. I have an annual pass and love hiking at the dunes. My family has been trying to hit all of the national parks. I love going to Disney World, too.
What do you enjoy most about working at Community Healthcare System?
I love the people I work with. I love walking through the halls, and it feels like the beginning of “Beauty and the Beast” when the townspeople greet everybody and they all know each other. I have built relationships with people in every department.
You started the group ICU Donates. Can you explain what that is?
The group is internal to our ICU team and focuses on service-oriented community outreach projects, donating supplies and money. ICU Donates started as a healing opportunity for us, something to help us get through COVID. Feeling the positivity – whether we were helping people or helping animals – and building relationships helped us mentally. We have supported Lakeshore Paws, Uniquely Nico, Innovations in Learning, Mental Health America and more. We even collected discarded bra clips and donated them to an animal rescue group that uses the clips to hold mended turtle shells in place.