HJAR Mar/Apr 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAR / APR 2020 49 Amy Triplet, MNSc RN Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Medical Center of South Arkansas leaders include sensitivity, empathy, grati- tude, servitude, and warmth. Teammembers typically demonstrate what is valued by their leader, which is why leading by example is so important. While recognizing the absolute need for leaders to support their team’s well-being, leaders must also minimize their own fa- tigue, and maximize their own personal sat- isfaction. It is often difficult to ensure that an organization is consistently delivering patient centered, compassionate, financial- ly responsible care for every patient, every time. Let’s face it—managing people is chal- lenging at best, and it can be emotionally draining, but compassionate care must be maintained regardless of circumstances. In order to be an effective compassionate lead- er, you must focus on achieving a balanced work-life, know your emotional limitations, have strategies for refueling your energy, and have the innate ability to motivate col- leagues to increase their own satisfaction. Every interaction tells a story. I have had the privilege of providing care alongside many compassionate nurses throughout my career. Foremost in my mind is one of the most recent examples of seeing com- passionate care affect a patient and their family. A visitor came into our nursing administration office to share an account of her interaction with one of our critical care nurses that was caring for her mother. The daughter explained that she has lived out-of-state for quite some time, and tries to regularly visit her mother. Since her mom was critically ill and admitted to the hospital, she came quickly to be by her mom’s side. After staying at the hospital for several days, the daughter left for the night to get some rest. During the night, she became increas- ingly uneasy and was restless thinking of her mom. She phoned the critical care unit and asked to speak with the nurse. After voicing her concerns, the nurse patiently spoke with her and explained the care her momwas re- ceiving. Since her momwas non-verbal, the nurse also asked how her momwould com- municate pain, thirst, etc. so that he could better provide care for her. At this point in the conversation, the daughter was in tears. At that moment, she knew her momwas go- ing to be okay, and would receive the highest quality of care. As a result, she was able to rest and prepare for the further attention she would need to give her loved one. She described the care as superb, and the nurse as compassionate. Something as simple as taking time during a busy nightshift to dis- cuss a patient’s plan of care with a loved one can make a huge impact, and change patient’s perception. As healthcare leaders, we must realize the impact we have on others, even when we don’t expect it. While rounding recently, I had a nurse approach me and express her appreciation of me from 18 years ago, when she started as a new nurse at our hospital. She said that my actions and leadership while I was her nurse preceptor taught her the importance of patience, understanding, and positivity while delivering patient care. This was very humbling, and brought me to the realization that our unconscious be- haviors and attitudes are sometimes more powerful than our conscious behaviors. This awareness should encourage every leader to stand a little straighter, always be kind, smile more, and feel satisfaction from making a difference, one team member, one patient, and one caregiver at a time. Healthcare leaders must be passionate about compassion to truly be successful in creating a compassionate care based orga- nization. Patients and families depend on us to fulfill our mission of providing high quality, compassionate care. If we do what we love, and what makes each of us happy, both compassionate leadership and com- passionate care come naturally. n Amy Triplet is the chief nursing officer at Medical Center of SouthArkansas.Originally fromStephens, Arkansas,Amy attended SouthernArkansas Univer- sity,graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biology. She acquired her nursing education at the Univer- sity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in nursing and a Master of Nursing Science as a geriatric nurse practitioner. She began her professional nursing career over 20 years ago in the hospital setting. Amy has been em- ployed at theMedical Center of SouthArkansas since 1997,serving inmany capacities, including staff nurse, charge nurse, rehab admissions coordinator, direc- tor of health education, director of CVICU, director of one day surgery/infusion therapy, assistant chief nursing officer,and CNO since 2017. In the past,Amy has served on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Content Expert Panel,been recognized as RehabNurse of theYear,NursingManager of theYear, Clinical Manager of theYear,and involved inmultiple community outreach activities. She is a member of American Nurses Association, and American Orga- nization of Nurse Executives.