From day one, Jeff demonstrated all the attributes of an incredible leader. I immediately felt a level of mutual respect and trust from him that I had not experienced with previous leaders.
Jeff motivates me to be the best nurse that I can be. He encourages me to do things I may not consider myself capable of. If any professional development opportunities arise he immediately lets me know so I have the opportunity to attend or participate. Although he always recognizes and acknowledges my role and emphasizes how vital I am to the team, he has never discouraged me if I've shown interest in furthering my experience and he will suggest avenues I may not have considered.
Jeff is always there with an open door, an open ear and an open mind. He makes himself available to everyone, anytime. He listens without judgment and he is always honest in his response and feedback. He is just what I need sometimes to reign my emotions in; he is a voice of reason, playing devil's advocate and providing me with guidance to look at things from a different perspective.
There are many examples of why Jeff is an exemplary leader. To list them all would be overwhelming. Instead, these are a few illustrations:
He gets staff involved in unit/hospital projects as much as possible because he wants them to be engaged and value the outcome results even more. When opportunities arise, he will personally approach staff about getting involved. Sometimes it's someone that expressed interest and sometimes it's someone they feel would just benefit from getting involved.
Jeff listens without judgment, to all concerns, acknowledges them but then asks what he can do to help solve or fix the problem in a way that involves the employee so they too can be a part of the solution. This creates a trust and mutual respect while promoting problem solving and accountability by the employee. Jeff makes a point of trying to know at least one personal thing about each employee.
We had a young patient that was dying who had a young son. Jeff suggested that the nurse help the son create paint hand prints of his and his dad's hands so that he could have a keepsake.
When another young patient who was an only child was dying, Jeff arranged to get a memory box for the parents so they could make a hand print and take a snip of their son's hair for keepsakes.
Jeff respects and honors professional growth and development, even if it means losing an employee.
These are just some examples of the character of Jeff Bechard. It is an honor and privilege to work with him.