She finds joy in being a nurse and a leader with integrity

My mother is the youngest of twelve children and navigated many losses including my grandparents along with aunts and uncles. Her profound sense of responsibility ensured her family members passed with dignity and respect. I navigated the personal challenge of experiencing these losses alongside my mother by asking questions. Through my curiosity with healthcare and observing my mother dedicate herself to her siblings, I learned the values of dedication and altruism. Caring for others came easy for my mom. Her dedication as a sister and licensed vocational nurse (LVN) encouraged me to pursue a career in nursing. Nursing allows me to serve others in times of joy and loss providing a sense of gratification.

I am an ambivert individual and this can be misperceived. In a prior role leading a team of nurses, my abilities to lead improvements in both employee and patient satisfaction were overshadowed by the perception, from a senior leader, as being meek. While this feedback came as a surprise and definitely challenged my self-perception, I did not allow this to deter my goals to continue collaborating with my team of nurses to achieve our goals of elevating patient care delivery and creating a positive work environment. By continuing to employ the leadership skills of coaching, humility, and approachability, I facilitate a safe space for team members to seek clarity and support their personal and professional growth. This in turn contributes to shared success.

Mentors were and continue to be vital for my career success. While mentors have provided me pearls of wisdom, I have also identified practices I do not want to employ. This should not be interpreted as a negative, but rather the notion of having the freedom to adopt professional behaviors and practices. This complements the best leadership advice received, which was to never compromise my credibility and integrity. Once they are compromised, regaining these qualities are challenging to reestablish.

Leadership is not about being brash or practicing one specific style. Leadership requires you to be your genuine self.