An introduction from your new Vice President
I am excited and happy to serve as your new Vice President of Patient Care Services. I previously worked at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where I served as interim Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. Prior to that, I was Director of Neonatal Nursing at CHOP for 14 years and also assumed responsibility for the emergency department and critical care nursing. In this first column I will share a few of my beliefs as a nurse and a leader.
Honoring and respecting the work of those who came before
I am indebted to my predecessors, Velinda Block and Terry Bryant, for the foundation they have laid for us to build upon. You can be sure that what comes next will build upon their efforts!
Respecting diversity of thought and talent
Every organization consists of a diverse group of people. Teamwork and professional practice flourish when those people are able to respect each other, listen to each other, and make decisions based upon what is best for our patients, families and the organization. I believe that teams are made stronger by combining the varied strengths of its members, rather than dwelling on each other’s faults. However, that being said, good team members hold each other accountable for meeting their responsibilities to each other and the organization, and I will do that when appropriate. Professionalism requires accountability for our practice.
Comfort with ambiguity
Change is inevitable and often unsettling when we do not know whether it will bring good times or bad. The uncertainty of the future is something I am comfortable with, having learned over the past few years that life has a way of taking you on twists and turns that you never expected. I can live with “not knowing” everything and will remain calm in the face of what sometimes feels like chaos. I hope that you will be able to tolerate not knowing along with me, and together we will explore the future.
Communication is key
Communication is essential to effective leadership, and I will be developing some new ways for us to “chat” online and in person in the coming months. In those new venues I will share more of my personality and philosophy on leadership. For now I will just say that I am thrilled to be here, and I look forward to meeting you in person soon. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at 454-2756 or pgordin@bjc.org if you have an idea or an issue you want to discuss.
Have a great summer!
Peggy Gordin, MS, RNC, NEA-BC, FAAN, is SLCH’s Vice President of Patient Care Services. She joined the hospital on June 2.