Rebecca Hayes
October 2022
Rebecca A.
Hayes
,
MSN, RN, CCRN
Critical Care Services
Northside Hospital Gwinnett
Lawrenceville
,
GA
United States

 

 

 

She took care of all the details behind the scenes that make a unit operate smoothly and efficiently that most people never see – the supplies, the staffing, the payroll, the daily operations - in the middle of a situation that would produce crushing anxiety and heartbreak for most.
During her time as a staff nurse, Becky quickly showed her level-headed, critical thinking skills and soon became both a preceptor and a relief charge nurse. When a supervisor position became available, a leader on the unit suggested she apply for the role because she recognized Becky showed skill in her informal leadership roles.

Once promoted, Becky was an excellent supervisor, able to remain calm in a crisis, foster new nurses, and made good decisions all while keeping a sense of humor. I first came to know Becky in this role when I was the Manager of PCU. Due to the patient population in PCU, our staff had to call frequent MRTs, particularly at night. The night shift staff always commented that they were glad to see Becky when she walked through the door because they knew they would get the help they needed for their patients without judgment.

Later on, I precepted Becky for a few days during her practicum while attaining her Master’s in Nursing Leadership. I caught a brief glimpse of her creativity and problem-solving skills, and was delighted when she was promoted to the Manager role for the ICU.

Becky has had many accomplishments while leading the ICU, most notably leading her team to achieve two Beacon Award designations. Not only is writing the application for the Beacon award a huge feat, but the leader must lead the team to exemplify the outcomes to go with it. Becky was able to achieve the outcomes and Beacon award not once, but twice during her time as the unit’s nurse leader.

However, at no time was Becky’s dedication and servant’s heart more evident than during the start of the COVID pandemic. In February/March 2020 when we all began to realize the magnitude of the threat we were about to face, Becky spent long hours in meetings to develop a plan for caring for the COVID population. She worked late into the night, days in a row to set up a unit on 4 South that could meet the needs of the patients and maintain a degree of safety for the staff. She took care of all the details behind the scenes that make a unit operate smoothly and efficiently that most people never see – the supplies, the staffing, the payroll, the daily operations - in the middle of a situation that would produce crushing anxiety and heartbreak for most. When there were no nurses to be found to fill in the gaps in staffing, Becky would step in beside the ICU nursing team to help staff the unit and provide exemplary patient care.

Becky was promoted to an Operations Manager position for Critical Care in early Fall 2021. In the last year, the Critical Care Division has experienced many changes that were necessary to accommodate the growth of our organization, and again, Becky stepped in to fill a gap in leadership roles, stabilizing three units, and leaving them in a stable state for the leaders who would follow. She is fostering and supportive of new leaders and is an all-around gem to have in your corner.