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 Steve’s story.
“Steve always looks at things on the bright side, he listens, he solves problems, and he jumps in to help patients anytime he sees a call light.”
Describe why you chose to become a nurse
I wanted to make a difference. I was planning on being a business major and had worked in the building materials and auto industries, but wasn’t satisfied. Working in healthcare, I can see a tangible way almost every day that I can have positive impacts on people. Working in management now, I can combine my initial interests in business with the compassion of healthcare.
Describe your most rewarding day on the job
In leadership, I like to see people succeed. Seeing new hires become independent after initial training, or nurses progress to running charge shifts are my favorite.
Describe your most challenging day on job
I find there are few easy decisions to make as a healthcare leader. Any time I see staff or patients struggle when I have no way to help them is a bad day.
Do you have any nurse hacks or lessons learned in the field you would like to share with others?
Before the era of scanning meds, I always added lidocaine jelly inside the nostril of a patient I had to place an NG tube on. Made it so much easier for the patient.
What’s a favorite quote of yours?
“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” – Rocky Balboa
For those looking for a way to help others, is there a charity you suggest?
The Maryland State Council charity fund provides financial assistance to individuals in temporary urgent need. This charity does not take any portion of donations for salaries or administrative costs.
Thank you for all you do, Steve!
Steve’s Nomination
I would like to recognize my manager Steve Benko for his positive attitude and support, especially to the staff in his unit during this difficult COVID time. He always looks at things on the bright side, he listens, he solves problems, and — most of all — he always jumps in to help patients anytime he sees a call light. We are blessed to have him as our manager.
Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Thank you for helping us honor Steve and the profession of nursing, Christina. 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 and best prepare your team for success. One client saved over two million dollars in overtime costs within the first eight months with ShiftWizard.
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.
