Stories of Florence Nightingale’s compassion, bravery, and leadership have shaped modern nursing and influenced and inspired millions. As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of her birth, we are honored to shine a light on today’s #NurseHeroes on the front lines by sharing some of their stories.
This is Beverly’s story.
“She has fully embraced the heart of nursing, servant leadership, and transformational leadership.
I am so proud to be her Director.”
Describe why you chose to become a nurse
I became a nurse because the only job I had ever wanted was to be a Mom. My boys turned into men and didn’t need me as much as they had, and the only thing I could think of that would be as gratifying as being a Mom was to be a nurse. So I went back to school at age 40, and I worked as a janitor at night at a Montessori school (where I was further inspired by the environment of learning I was surrounded by).
Describe your most rewarding day on the job
I was caring for a patient with serious injuries who seemed to be giving up, wouldn’t walk, and was starting to get a fever. I was scared for the patient. So I used my best deep, gruff voice and told them to get out of bed and get moving! The patient recovered and later wrote my manager and me a card saying that the “drill sergeant Bev had saved their life” (in reality I am very soft spoken).
Describe your most challenging day on job
When I told a cancer patient it was o.k. to have hope, because what was the alternative? And the patient died the next day.
Do you have any nurse hacks or lessons learned in the field you would like to share with others?
My very best lesson was to realize I had resources. That nursing, although very private, is a team effort.
What’s a favorite quote of yours?
“Don’t rattle the skeletons in other people’s closet or yours might come out to dance.”
Anything else you’d like to share?
I am so grateful and honored to be a nurse. I go into work every day and think to myself, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this!”
For those looking for a way to help others, is there a charity you suggest?
The American Cancer Society. My brother is a survivor of blood cancer and my Mom died of cancer.
Thank you for all you do, Beverly!
Beverly’s Nomination
During Covid-19, the cancellation of elective surgeries came to a screeching halt. Beverly’s director was reassigned to assist the ICU, leaving the surgical unit in her care. This required Beverly to step into a manager role quickly and lead her team to become an acute medical unit from a healthy surgical unit. This abrupt change in patient population in her department was a significant change for the team. She lead the team in competence, compassion, and success in becoming a complex medical unit.
At the same time she had to minimize staffing expenses and assist in determining if the unit should furlough any RNs. The diligence and creativity in working with staff resulted in flexible schedules and every team member taking a little bit of time without pay. This made it so… that no team member had to be furloughed.
In addition, she utilized surgical staff resources to staff the Acute Rehab Unit by reassigning members of her team temporarily. She was already a master of ShiftWizard. During this time she was able to utilize it to the maximum potential to share staff between units.
She also participated in the complex creation of a surge plan as required by NY state for all hospitals.
All of this has been accomplished and maintained with an excellent “can do” attitude of her entire RN and aide team. And… one more thing… she finished her last BSN class during the beginning of this!
She has fully embraced the heart of nursing, servant leadership, and transformational leadership.
I am so proud to be her Director.
Cayuga Medical Center
Thank you for helping us honor Beverly and the profession of nursing, Bernice. We salute you!
Do you have a story to share?
While our team at ShiftWizard believes all nurses are heroes, we’d like to hear who you feel has gone above and beyond. Help us honor a fellow nurse or nurse leader whose actions have inspired others in these unprecedented times, and let’s celebrate nursing together!
Did you know that ShiftWizard significantly lowers staffing costs for healthcare organizations?
These are incredibly challenging times for nurses as well as the organizations they serve, and there’s no better time to learn how ShiftWizard can deliver significant cost savings, best prepare your team for success, and be a dependable partner in times of adversity.
Our industry-leading workforce management solution is quick to implement and was developed by nurses— it is built specifically for healthcare and solves the complexities of scheduling staff for any department within a hospital. And, especially for times like these, our powerful communication center excels at getting messages (text, email, and automated calls) to staff securely and quickly, maximizing accountability and teamwork.
We are honored to support our frontline teams and we are here to help you meet your challenges head on.
Send your nurse story to us at info@shiftwizard.com or let us know how we can help you.
