In the heart transplant unit, Paul is everyone’s most trusted, go-to nurse. He can—all in the space of one busy shift—quickly assess patient needs, rework nurse assignments to ensure safe care, and personally care for a critical patient. He sees what is necessary and jumps in to do it, calmly and collaboratively—he quietly leads by example and doesn’t seek the spotlight. Physicians often specially request him for bedside procedures because he is so dependably excellent, both in terms of clinical expertise and critical thinking. As a leader, Paul is dedicated to the nurses on his unit, planning outside outings and ensuring that morale and collaboration stay high.
Based on the published evidence, Paul knew how important it was that the patients on his unit maintain their mobility—their ability to walk, move and care for themselves. But maintaining those abilities in an ICU setting can be quite difficult, when patients are on respiratory supports and other technologies, not to mention the fact that they are exhausted from experiencing heart failure.
So Paul decided to try something completely different: He invented Flash MoBility, a superhero-themed mobility program. Both patients and nurses put on capes and masks before engaging in exercises. It’s a little silly, by design, and at first there was some skepticism, but Paul thought that some fun was exactly what was needed. When it quickly became obvious how much energy the program brought to the unit, everyone embraced the change. The result has been that patients have a decreased length of stay because they are going into transplant healthier, and coming out of it better equipped to go home faster. This is the power of Paul’s enthusiasm for nursing practice. He believes exceptional nursing extends beyond treating illness. It means caring for the whole person: mind, body, and spirit.