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In This Issue:
As part of BWH Bulletin’s series on what qualities define a leader, Nancy Hickey, MS, RN, director of Emergency and Medical Nursing and recipient of the 2001 Thomson Leadership Award, discusses the importance of coaching.
Nancy Hickey was there to support the staff on Tower 14CD and the family of a dying patient struggling with the decision to terminate life support. Hickey’s guidance was pivotal as the family took a few hours to say goodbye to their loved one.
“I called Nancy looking for guidance and reassurance that I was doing the right thing for the patient, his family and my staff,” said Tower 14CD Nurse Manager Cindy Lemay, RN, who decided to keep the patient on her floor rather than transporting him to the ICU.
Shortly after hanging up the phone, Hickey was standing beside Lemay at the patient’s bedside. “I remember her telling me this was the right thing to do, and with that simple statement, I immediately felt relief. Her confidence in me that day really facilitated my growth and confidence.”
Hickey advised the nurses on how to support the family and then asked one of the unit’s new nurses to join her as she held the patient’s hand and spent the next 20 minutes quelling his family’s fears. Hickey’s intuition, guidance and example helped these nurses build confidence in their own abilities to handle such a difficult situation.
“An effective coach is perceptive and develops relationships based on others’ needs,” said Hickey, who has proved an influential coach and leader in every role she has held since joining BWH in 1981. “To be a leader, you must encourage people to fulfill their highest potential and coach them along the way.”