Our Chief Nursing Officer, Rosenda Maria Barrera, exemplifies the role model that she is for compassion and exemplary practice in that she is the driving force behind all patient care initiatives that occur at Saint Francis.  As quoted by a CCU nurse, “Rosey believes in nurses. And she always sees the good in things.”  Rosey is very pro-nurses, having a voice and being able to speak up for what they need in order to help find solutions to create the highest quality of nursing care available for our patients.   “Not only does she support the nurse’s voice, but she is not afraid to support the staff in whatever they need, whether that be pushing gurneys in trauma or coming in on Holidays to support staffing.”  Med/Surg Nurses stated “Rosey is passionate about our nurses providing excellent patient care and is interested in the details.  She listens carefully and actively advocates for clinical resources to enhance our nursing practice.  She maintains an open-door policy and is readily available for consultation when needed!”  A nurse manager stated, “I’ve never worked in an organization or on a team where I have laughed so much.  It’s infectious. Laughter truly is the best medicine, and Rosey is just as lively both when speaking to patients and staff but behind the scenes as well.”  To be passionate is one thing, and allowing for joyfulness through laughter at work is a skill in itself.

Another standard of care is to create an environment that fosters care and compassion.  The ambulatory surgery nurses described Rosey as someone with “... incredible energy to motivate people.  The way she pulled us through COVID, her optimism, her memory, and her work capability, it’s insane. It’s so impressive to sustain that type of motivation for people who are collectively going through potentially the hardest part of their career and healthcare in general.”   Rosey recognizes the efforts of all who work in the hospital, not only nurses.  She understands that while nursing drives patient care, nursing would not be able to provide care if not all the departments of the hospital worked together in interprofessional collaboration.  An interprofessional ED throughput task force group was formed in order to better address the needs of patients coming into our emergency department.  The radiology department’s CT turnaround time from orders to test completion was identified as an area that showed great improvement, and Rosey proudly presented the Radiology/CT/Nursing team with the inaugural DAISY Team Award”.  

In the realm of creating an environment where attributes of trust, compassion, mutual respect that leads to professional development and ethical behavior are modeled and supported is strongly supported by Rosey.  One of the programs that the Clinical Professional Department is very proud of is its New Graduate Nurse Program.  Rosey understands that the transition into the new role is challenging and requires strong leadership and support.  Rosey insists on attending meetings to check in with her new graduate nurses throughout their first year and beyond.  She shares her own personal story of how she struggled as a new nurse and constantly questioned whether it was for her.  Through perseverance and mentorship from a colleague, she was able to find her footing and lay the foundation for her nursing career.  She tells this story in order to encourage and inspire new nurses to understand that they are not alone and the rewards of being a nurse are immeasurable.  She encourages them to find their own version of her colleague who kept her going through that transition period and offers to always be that person for them who cheers them on and lifts them up through all the hardships.   

In addition to our newest nurse members, Rosey showed continued support for professional development during our inaugural charge nurse leadership class this past fall.  While addressing the class, Rosey emphasized that you don’t need a title to be a leader, but by being present and a role model, the associates are leaders regardless of the role they are in.  

Rosey always motivates staff with a shared vision and enthusiasm to achieve better outcomes for their practice, which ultimately leads to improved patient outcomes.  These outcomes are evident in our most recent application for joining an elite club in recognition of Magnet, with only 8% of hospitals worldwide having this coveted recognition.  To have this recognition means our quality outcomes are significant, and we anticipate that we will not only receive Magnet but also be on the trajectory of being recognized as exemplars with distinction.  These quality metrics include Falls, Falls with Injury, CLABSI, CAUTI, OR never events, Door to Balloon, and so many more quality initiatives that identify exceptional care for nurses.  One of our proudest moments under Roseys leadership is our RN engagement survey which clearly states that 75-90% of our units scored above the 75th percentile.  This is unheard of in many organizations and is a testament to her engagement with our nurses at the bedside. These quality outcomes have been directly correlated with our most recent Leap Frog A, which would not have been possible without excellent nursing outcomes.  

As stated by other nurses, “Rosey not only has a great work ethic, but she is quick to make decisions and follows through with all her initiatives. Rosey knows what the bedside nurses need to deliver exemplary care.”  When the staff of the inpatient units recognized a need for additional bladder scanners to determine the necessity of indwelling catheters, Rosey understood that reducing the use of catheters would provide better outcomes for our patients and potentially lower the risk of associated infection and has led to no CAUTIs in over 2 years.  Rosey also responded to the understanding that the nurses needed extra care as a team as well.  She reached out to the hospital shared governance committee and asked in which ways she can help support them while they support our patients, and our staff asked for an Associate Gym in order to promote nurses’ well-being and healthy lifestyles.  Rosey coordinated efforts to secure the optimal location for the gym, ensure any adjustments to the space were made, acquired equipment, and was able to open the new gym for our associates to use in less than 5 months from the original request! 

Mentoring is an important skill for any CNO or executive leader, and Rosey has this one down.  Rosey is always eager to share her knowledge and expertise with staff, whether it be as an established mentor/mentee relationship, which she has with the Critical Care Manager, or as an unofficial mentor for any and every nurse looking for guidance.  

Med/Surg RN said, “If I had to describe Rosey in a couple of words, I’d say she is caring and present.  Rosey has been an inspiration and mentor to me both in and outside of the hospital.  She encouraged me to join the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, as well as supported my attendance at one of their conferences. With Rosey’s support and by her side, I’ve been able to provide our  community with education on diabetic teaching and health awareness during an event led by our St. Francis diabetic coordinator.”     

To be a CNO requires one to be accessible, available, and responsive to the needs of others, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving for individuals and within the context of teams.  Rosey is as much of an advocate for her team as she is for all departments that serve our patients.  She stands by her conviction that she is and will always be a nurse first but is fierce when it comes to advocating for the patient.  We often joke about Rosey in her open door policy as the Director of Nursing states her open door policy is too open, and she often needs to convince her to close the door during meetings in order to get things done.  K from 3S raves about how approachable Rosey is in that she is welcoming when you see her and you just want to talk to her.  It doesn't matter who you are, she is approachable to all.  Rosey promotes and enhances the image of nursing within the organization, the community, and the profession.  

In summary, as a nurse stated, "I’m truly thankful to God for bringing Rosey into my life.  Her personality and professional demeanor reflect a true servant leader.  It’s not very easy to be the Shepard but she faithfully continues to embark on the most difficult job of all.  She is the voice of nurses and for so many other departments that impact nursing."  Rosey is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.