Kathleen Deis
January 2025
Kathleen
Deis
,
MSN, RN, TCRN, CEN, NE-BC, ACNS-BC
TJUH ED
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States
Kate never wavered as a strong leader through these tides. She is the epitome of a leader in a department that constantly demands flexibility, fluidity, and a passion for emergency nursing.
Kate Deis has been an extraordinary leader in the Emergency Department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She has been steadfast to staff during a dramatic and challenging time in the city of Philadelphia. She stepped up to be the manager of this emergency department during the COVID19 pandemic and then navigated multiple challenges since. She is not the loudest voice in the room, but she is the most consistent voice, and she advocates for her staff in a way that is frequently unacknowledged. She advocates for staff, unlike any leader I have ever known. She never wants recognition for all the wonderful work she does to support this emergency department. She is a pleasure to work for and to follow.
***
When Kate stepped into the Manager role in the ED four years ago, there was a palpable change of culture in the department with her leadership. Over the past few years, our department has worked through COVID, DOH audits, and letting go of an observation unit. Kate never wavered as a strong leader through these tides. She is the epitome of a leader in a department that constantly demands flexibility, fluidity, and a passion for emergency nursing.
As COVID wound down, our department was challenged with workforce stability. Kate worked quickly to find a solution. First, day to day, Kate was frequently found working patient assignments. One notable shift, I walked into the ED on a Monday morning to find I was getting a report from Kate. She took a full patient assignment for 12 hours overnight on a Sunday, took the day to sleep, and then showed back up Tuesday morning for business as usual. She is a manager willing to put his/her hands directly on a problem. In the meantime, she held individual retention interviews, cataloging and addressing the issues that staff who had been employed here for more than a year shared. Finally, as a long-term solution, Kate did something out of the norm: She hired excited and motivated new graduate nurses to fill the holes in the staffing. In the past, ED nurses were required to have experience. Kate took a valuable, calculated risk to help improve staffing, morale, and overall outlook for our department.
***
When Kate stepped into the Manager role in the ED four years ago, there was a palpable change of culture in the department with her leadership. Over the past few years, our department has worked through COVID, DOH audits, and letting go of an observation unit. Kate never wavered as a strong leader through these tides. She is the epitome of a leader in a department that constantly demands flexibility, fluidity, and a passion for emergency nursing.
As COVID wound down, our department was challenged with workforce stability. Kate worked quickly to find a solution. First, day to day, Kate was frequently found working patient assignments. One notable shift, I walked into the ED on a Monday morning to find I was getting a report from Kate. She took a full patient assignment for 12 hours overnight on a Sunday, took the day to sleep, and then showed back up Tuesday morning for business as usual. She is a manager willing to put his/her hands directly on a problem. In the meantime, she held individual retention interviews, cataloging and addressing the issues that staff who had been employed here for more than a year shared. Finally, as a long-term solution, Kate did something out of the norm: She hired excited and motivated new graduate nurses to fill the holes in the staffing. In the past, ED nurses were required to have experience. Kate took a valuable, calculated risk to help improve staffing, morale, and overall outlook for our department.