This past year, I had the distinct honor of serving with Andrea Coyle, MHA, MSN, RN, NE-BC on the Strategic Planning Committee for Incorporating Healthy Living into the Nursing Culture. Ms. Coyle has not only served as the chair of this highly impactful committee but also serves as MUSC's Professional Excellence and Magnet Program Director. Her impact on nursing is felt locally, at the state level, and even nationally. As an ANA Membership Assembly Representative for South Carolina, her role includes policy and practice legislation at the national level. Her passion for nursing is felt as an inspirational speaker at many national conferences and she also serves as an MUSC College of Nursing adjunct faculty member. She advocated fiercely for RN-BSN College of Nursing Scholarships for MUSC nurses and inspired many at her MUSC convocation speech.
A true testament to a great leader is their ability to empower the right team and work together for a common goal. Ms. Coyle's ability to recruit the right people for the job is unmatched. I was once given the advice, "take care of your people and they will take care of you." As a nurse under Andrea's leadership, I feel this is one of her best and most important leadership qualities, which is evident in her advocacy of her nurses. While serving on the Strategic Planning Committee for Incorporating Healthy Living into the Nursing Culture, I watched Andrea's leadership at an innovative level unfold. After recruiting the right members for the team, she passionately led the team to grants, national ANA pilots, and a 600,000 potential audience media release of the successful project. She led the committee and implemented a pilot that continues to have lasting impacts on the nursing culture and health at MUSC. But her work as chair is not her only impact on MUSC's nursing culture. When a clinical bedside RN approached Ms. Coyle with information regarding "Our Community Listens (OCL)" project, she acted on the request of the clinical nurse. She heard the potential impact that the training could provide senior leadership at MUSC and she acted on the request of the staff member. She advocated for the clinical nurse to become an ambassador and brought the program to MUSC. Time and time again, Ms. Coyle listens to the nurses, their needs, their ideas, and empowers the organization to grow with innovation and diversity.
Andrea's advocacy, innovation, and leadership are evident in her outcomes and her impact on the nursing community. Ms. Coyle secured a ten thousand dollar grant for the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Challenge. Furthermore, she partnered with the American Nurses Association and led a successful pilot of the program. As a result of her leadership, MUSC nurses reported a 183% increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables from the beginning of the pilot in June to the end of the pilot in August. Her team led an impressive marketing reach with a potential 600,000 person audience. Her work on the project was featured in the Charleston Post & Courier and the Charleston Business Journal. In addition to her successful leadership on the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Pilot, Nurse Engagement scores have raised dramatically in 2018 under her leadership as Magnet Program Director. MUSC boasts above national benchmark in several categories directly related to her work with Shared Governance and as Magnet Director. Categories exhibiting above National Benchmarks include "Our organization values are reflected in our Nursing Professional Practice Model," "Nurse leaders share a clear vision for how nursing should be practiced in this organization," and "I am involved in decisions that reflect my work." Each of these increases in Nursing Engagement can be attributed to Ms. Coyle's fierce advocacy for the clinical nursing culture at MUSC.