The Kind of Leader That Lifts Everyone
DAISY Nurse Leader Award: Nomination #1
I would like to nominate Donna Moyer for the Nurse manager award this year. Donna manages the Peds Sedation, PICU, PEDs and Child Life Departments at Bronson. She regularly meets with the staff in these areas, to help them promote professional development in their respective areas. She is continuously praised for always advocating and being a great resource for them. She maintains privacy with individuals’ sensitive information. Per staff request, Donna went to town hall meetings once a quarter to address any pertinent needs that the staff may want to address. She is very approachable and is quick to respond when anyone has any questions or concerns.
She always strives to make staff satisfaction her number one goal. She always listens with a kind ear and heart, and is able to advocate what is best for her staff as well as the patients and families.
Donna has worked at Bronson for many years and has seen lots of different cultures, but she always promotes such a positive one, that makes her staff feel important and engaged. She has endured lots of changes and always has a smile on her face.
When Donna stepped into the interim role a few years ago, it was quickly apparent that she was the right fit to lead the pediatric unit on to bigger and better things.
DAISY Nurse Leader Award: Nomination #2
When I think of what a manager should be for a unit or department, I think of someone who is trustworthy, approachable, professional, and encouraging. These are only a few ways to describe Donna Moyer. Donna stepped in to become manager during a really tough time for our unit during and following Covid. Our unit was beat down and broken, but Donna has worked tirelessly to rebuild what we once had on our Peds and PICU units. She has brought back support for staff, mutual respect, and has raised morale back to where it once was. Our staff know that if they have a question or a problem, they can always approach Donna and she will stop what she is doing to help figure it out. Donna's experience and knowledge make her an incredible manager and someone many of us look up to.
When I first became unit coordinator of the department, I was not able to train with the previous nurse in this role. Donna was able to not only do her job but also teach me how to do mine. One example of how she is always there for her team is a weekend when I was on-call and ran into a situation that I was not sure of how to handle. We had a critical patient who needed CRRT but the CRRT set that we needed was expired and the new order hadn't arrived yet. Donna was on her way to a wedding when I called for help, and as she rode in the car, she helped me call other Children's hospitals to try and find a CRRT set that we could use. We were able to find a CRRT set and Detroit Children's. Donna was in Detroit for a wedding. She left the reception early to drive to the hospital, pick up the CRRT set, and then drove it back to Bronson so that the patient received that care that they needed. This is only one example of how Donna supports the team and helps problem solve any situation.
Donna has always been an advocate for staff and encourages them to become certified or advance their careers. Not only does she encourage everyone, but she is with them every step of the way to guide and help them. She doesn't just say she cares about her team; she shows it in so many ways. I couldn't imagine what our department would be like right now if Donna hadn’t stepped into the manager’s role. I look up to her and appreciate her more than she will ever know.
DAISY Nurse Leader Award: Nomination #3
I have worked at Bronson as a Nurse for 21 years. In that time period I have never encountered a manager as exemplary as Donna Moyer. This trend started when she became our Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist. I remember admiring her knowledge, hard work and her drive towards excellence. She embodies the art of Nursing, and I have strived to be the best nurse to my ability because of her example and mentorship. When conversation falls through or there is a misunderstanding, Donna will always admit her mistakes and seek you out personally to communicate it. She encourages learning and growth within your nursing expertise. She suggests certifications and many other learning opportunities and is always supportive when one wants to advance their degree or career. I find that she is open about her own experiences as a nurse and various other life experiences. She maintains a supportive, positive, realistic, and encouraging demeanor, which in turn makes her a great mentor. Many times, she is asked to coordinate communication amongst various teams and disciplines in order to improve care or make necessary process changes. Her goal is to have the best pediatric patient outcomes. She is always willing to work with staff to the best of her ability to promote a healthy work/life balance. If passing in the hall she always greets staff with a smile and genuinely cares about how one's work and personal life are doing. Her dedication to our unit and team is obvious by her ability to promote optimal care and treatment regarding our unit's nursing practice. Maintaining her position alone proves her dedication, as I am aware that her job can be very difficult at times. She is continually open to new approaches to care as long as it is consistent with evidenced based practice. When making shared decisions she involves all appropriate and necessary people. She considerers staff members points of view and ideas with thoughtful intention. She is motivated to create a unit that has good morale and promotes teamwork and recognition. I personally have a great relationship with Donna and respect her abilities and points of view. The importance of fairness is obvious in her decision making. She deserves to be recognized for her time, effort and hard work that she puts into our Pediatric family.
