Alfonzo Robinson
November 2022
Alfonzo
Robinson
,
MHA, BSN, RN, CPDN
STC 3
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple
Temple
,
TX
United States
To meet and understand Alfonzo, you quickly learn that he is here to do more than care for people but also for his community. He lives to make a difference in where he works, lives, or plays.
Alfonzo Robinson stands true to his core and the values of BSWH of acting honestly, serving faithfully, and never settling for the status quo. Alfonzo has been a nurse for 11 years, starting as an LVN in the Army. His heart for serving others did not stop at just serving his country but continued with a more substantial commitment, vision, and servanthood. In the last year, Alfonzo has shown that he values the belief that "we act honestly" by ensuring that the needs of his nurses and PCTs on STC 3 are heard and acted upon.
As a Nurse Supervisor and then promoted to Nurse Manager, he was faced with the challenge of having to divide his nursing staff between two units due to Covid surges. He had to ensure that both teams had the correct skill mix to care for Covid and immediate renal transplant patients. Alfonzo and his team had to develop streamlined communication between CAM 6North and STC 3. Communication between the charge nurses, nursing leadership, transplant coordinators, and the bed management team had to be held to the allocation of resources and ensure high delivery of patient excellence. Along with supervising this, he had to ensure that the Covid unit on STC 3 was staffed safely and, with the increased utilization of Novice Nurses, were acquittals supported with education, resources, and leadership support.
When asked about his leadership during this time, one nurse stated, "Alfonzo is a steady stream of confidence and reassurance that we could reach out to at any time. He and the nurse manager did not fail to appear when needed. This made the unthinkable of another surge bearable." Another way that he ensured "acting honestly" and "not settling" is the way he has worked by sharing the vision of the best place to work is BSWH.
He has actively pursued working with local colleges within Central Texas, and outside this area, by making connections to promote the nursing opportunities we have within our organization. STC 3 had one of the highest nursing vacancy rates within the Acute Care setting. He discussed with his leadership team the idea of networking and collectively determined the course of action. Alfonzo worked with each school to arrange coverage for STC 3, and the facility at BSWH-Temple was present. He worked with NPD and leadership to develop slides and flyers to present to the students. When asked to share his approach with others, he graciously did so. Due to his hard work, STC 3 did obtain ten recruits from his effort by closing the gap from 18 to 8. Alfonzo has made a difference to the unit, facility, and community. Due to his commitment to leading with steadfastness and fierce determination to push for better, his most robust strength is his heart for others.
To meet and understand Alfonzo, you quickly learn that he is here to do more than care for people but also for his community. He lives to make a difference in where he works, lives, or plays. Alfonzo worked with Keep Temple Beautiful Community Services, and the team on STC 3 was successful in adopting a community trail. This trail is sponsored by the STC 3 Transplant and Urology Unit behind the Mental Health Clinic. Each quarter, the unit holds clean-up days and event celebrations on the trail.
Recently, he worked with the Transplant Clinic, leadership, and the team members to celebrate the 140 organs implanted this fiscal year at the trial. This celebration allowed everyone to understand the value of " in it together" and the lives saved due to donating. Alfonzo serves as the Chair of the Falls Best Practice Team. He has completed his certification for Peritoneal Dialysis and completed his MBA. He has completed his first Aspire projected related Hapi Prevention measures that have been shared with two other units. Alfonzo has performed many other wonderful things during his time at BSWH, and I can not wait to see what he does next. He is a leader of true heart and soul.
***
Our unit and organization are fortunate to have a dedicated leader like Alfonzo. He is always ready at a moment's notice to participate and assist his team with patient care. I have learned from him the importance of listening-sometimes no words mean the most. He never makes his team members feel like a burden, or that their concerns are not valid.
Alfonzo is a transformational leader who listens with intention and treats each member of the team with attentiveness. Each member of our team is empowered to participate in leadership moments. Ever supportive of educational and life endeavors, Alfonzo always works hard to finagle schedules to enable our team to pursue opportunities while maintaining a work-life balance. He has helped to cultivate a team of healthcare professionals that is second to none and delivers uncompromising care and outcomes. His leadership inspires a team that can operate effectively under pressure, capable of supporting itself when needed.
Alfonzo does not expect or seek praise from others. He is more likely to transfer praise to everyone but himself. To shed some light on what goes on behind closed doors, although his door is always open, here are a few highlights of some accomplishments:
• Improving hospital throughput from the ED
• Gathering data/identifying barriers to enhance patient flow and progression of care
• Meeting MD partner to identify ways to improve patient care experience through increased communication Patient experience scores from 14% to >80%
• Working with NPD/specialists/surgeons to create live in-services for staff-Reconstructed orientation process for new graduates
• Alfonzo has been a catalyst for change to help with recruitment and actively combat our staffing crisis- He contacted, traveled to, and presented to multiple colleges and universities to highlight the uniqueness of STC 3, & other lesser-known units; As a result,10/12 vacancies were filled on our unit.
• Identified delay of care r/t frequency of poor peripheral vasculature access- partnered with Interventional Radiology to set up training for several of our nurses on inserting ultrasound guided IVs, & collaborating with SIM lab to borrow a U/S machine and ensure staff has the equipment necessary to enable nurses to utilize this skill frequently & conveniently and assist other units.
• Improvement of patient satisfaction/potential to decrease patient acuity with the use of cyclers for CAPD, instead of manual exchanges every 4 to 6 hours. The machines allow 1 exchange overnight while the patient is sleeping instead of throughout the day and interruptions in sleep at night. Alfonzo has accomplished purchasing the equipment and is in the final stages of this endeavor; working closely with nephrology to obtain order sets.
• Refining other policies and procedures relating to peritoneal dialysis.
• Despite challenges with staffing, engagement scores continue to be top notch.
• Adopted a trail on behalf of STC 3 with the Keep Temple Beautiful Foundation and the City of Temple, to help facilitate the presence of our healthcare team in the community by assisting with clean up and maintenance of this trail in a park right next to our campus.
On World Organ Donation/Transplant Awareness Day, our transplant team gathered at this trail to celebrate 140 successful transplants that year. It would suffice to say that Alfonzo has a “can do" attitude, as this is just a snippet of the many ways in which he gives 110% of himself every single day.
Despite the multitude of challenges, he remains steadfast in support of our unit. Alfonzo promotes a positive image of what a nurse should be. He provides motivation and opportunities for our team to advance careers and knowledge. The reach of his leadership goes far beyond what the eye can see. Through every positive impact made, to elevating the care received on STC 3, and for all the many lives touched through the influence of his leadership, Alfonzo is the very definition of a DAISY Nurse Leader.
As a Nurse Supervisor and then promoted to Nurse Manager, he was faced with the challenge of having to divide his nursing staff between two units due to Covid surges. He had to ensure that both teams had the correct skill mix to care for Covid and immediate renal transplant patients. Alfonzo and his team had to develop streamlined communication between CAM 6North and STC 3. Communication between the charge nurses, nursing leadership, transplant coordinators, and the bed management team had to be held to the allocation of resources and ensure high delivery of patient excellence. Along with supervising this, he had to ensure that the Covid unit on STC 3 was staffed safely and, with the increased utilization of Novice Nurses, were acquittals supported with education, resources, and leadership support.
When asked about his leadership during this time, one nurse stated, "Alfonzo is a steady stream of confidence and reassurance that we could reach out to at any time. He and the nurse manager did not fail to appear when needed. This made the unthinkable of another surge bearable." Another way that he ensured "acting honestly" and "not settling" is the way he has worked by sharing the vision of the best place to work is BSWH.
He has actively pursued working with local colleges within Central Texas, and outside this area, by making connections to promote the nursing opportunities we have within our organization. STC 3 had one of the highest nursing vacancy rates within the Acute Care setting. He discussed with his leadership team the idea of networking and collectively determined the course of action. Alfonzo worked with each school to arrange coverage for STC 3, and the facility at BSWH-Temple was present. He worked with NPD and leadership to develop slides and flyers to present to the students. When asked to share his approach with others, he graciously did so. Due to his hard work, STC 3 did obtain ten recruits from his effort by closing the gap from 18 to 8. Alfonzo has made a difference to the unit, facility, and community. Due to his commitment to leading with steadfastness and fierce determination to push for better, his most robust strength is his heart for others.
To meet and understand Alfonzo, you quickly learn that he is here to do more than care for people but also for his community. He lives to make a difference in where he works, lives, or plays. Alfonzo worked with Keep Temple Beautiful Community Services, and the team on STC 3 was successful in adopting a community trail. This trail is sponsored by the STC 3 Transplant and Urology Unit behind the Mental Health Clinic. Each quarter, the unit holds clean-up days and event celebrations on the trail.
Recently, he worked with the Transplant Clinic, leadership, and the team members to celebrate the 140 organs implanted this fiscal year at the trial. This celebration allowed everyone to understand the value of " in it together" and the lives saved due to donating. Alfonzo serves as the Chair of the Falls Best Practice Team. He has completed his certification for Peritoneal Dialysis and completed his MBA. He has completed his first Aspire projected related Hapi Prevention measures that have been shared with two other units. Alfonzo has performed many other wonderful things during his time at BSWH, and I can not wait to see what he does next. He is a leader of true heart and soul.
***
Our unit and organization are fortunate to have a dedicated leader like Alfonzo. He is always ready at a moment's notice to participate and assist his team with patient care. I have learned from him the importance of listening-sometimes no words mean the most. He never makes his team members feel like a burden, or that their concerns are not valid.
Alfonzo is a transformational leader who listens with intention and treats each member of the team with attentiveness. Each member of our team is empowered to participate in leadership moments. Ever supportive of educational and life endeavors, Alfonzo always works hard to finagle schedules to enable our team to pursue opportunities while maintaining a work-life balance. He has helped to cultivate a team of healthcare professionals that is second to none and delivers uncompromising care and outcomes. His leadership inspires a team that can operate effectively under pressure, capable of supporting itself when needed.
Alfonzo does not expect or seek praise from others. He is more likely to transfer praise to everyone but himself. To shed some light on what goes on behind closed doors, although his door is always open, here are a few highlights of some accomplishments:
• Improving hospital throughput from the ED
• Gathering data/identifying barriers to enhance patient flow and progression of care
• Meeting MD partner to identify ways to improve patient care experience through increased communication Patient experience scores from 14% to >80%
• Working with NPD/specialists/surgeons to create live in-services for staff-Reconstructed orientation process for new graduates
• Alfonzo has been a catalyst for change to help with recruitment and actively combat our staffing crisis- He contacted, traveled to, and presented to multiple colleges and universities to highlight the uniqueness of STC 3, & other lesser-known units; As a result,10/12 vacancies were filled on our unit.
• Identified delay of care r/t frequency of poor peripheral vasculature access- partnered with Interventional Radiology to set up training for several of our nurses on inserting ultrasound guided IVs, & collaborating with SIM lab to borrow a U/S machine and ensure staff has the equipment necessary to enable nurses to utilize this skill frequently & conveniently and assist other units.
• Improvement of patient satisfaction/potential to decrease patient acuity with the use of cyclers for CAPD, instead of manual exchanges every 4 to 6 hours. The machines allow 1 exchange overnight while the patient is sleeping instead of throughout the day and interruptions in sleep at night. Alfonzo has accomplished purchasing the equipment and is in the final stages of this endeavor; working closely with nephrology to obtain order sets.
• Refining other policies and procedures relating to peritoneal dialysis.
• Despite challenges with staffing, engagement scores continue to be top notch.
• Adopted a trail on behalf of STC 3 with the Keep Temple Beautiful Foundation and the City of Temple, to help facilitate the presence of our healthcare team in the community by assisting with clean up and maintenance of this trail in a park right next to our campus.
On World Organ Donation/Transplant Awareness Day, our transplant team gathered at this trail to celebrate 140 successful transplants that year. It would suffice to say that Alfonzo has a “can do" attitude, as this is just a snippet of the many ways in which he gives 110% of himself every single day.
Despite the multitude of challenges, he remains steadfast in support of our unit. Alfonzo promotes a positive image of what a nurse should be. He provides motivation and opportunities for our team to advance careers and knowledge. The reach of his leadership goes far beyond what the eye can see. Through every positive impact made, to elevating the care received on STC 3, and for all the many lives touched through the influence of his leadership, Alfonzo is the very definition of a DAISY Nurse Leader.