National Nurses Week - Personal and Professional Resiliency During COVID-19

Maggie began her healthcare career as a NICU nurse taking care of the most vulnerable infants needing the highest level of care and protection. Having always wanted to be a nurse Maggie recalls feeling equally excited and scared to start in such a critical unit but says it was one of the best choices she has ever made. Having several leadership experiences throughout her nine years of nursing, Maggie found that she had a passion for leading and motivating others and while ensuring that the business side of healthcare was supporting healthcare workers in the best way possible. When the opportunity arose to work as a Critical Products Manager she knew it would remove her from the patient bedside, but it also would put her in a position to use her management and leadership skills to work as a liaison between clinicians and supply chain. She says “I didn't know very much about supply chain management prior to this position but I’ve grown a huge appreciation for supply chain professionals and the work that they do. It’s a crucial part of healthcare and really is the heart of the hospital.”

Maggie was in a unique position during the pandemic due to her pregnancy. With little to no information about the virus during the early stages of the pandemic, Maggie was one of the first associates to be given the work-from-home order to keep her and her family as safe as possible. Reflecting on her time away from the hospital and those on the frontlines she said “I felt a little helpless. I have nursing experience that can be used on the frontlines but at the same time I was pregnant and could not serve at the bedside. To ensure I was still maximizing my skills, I focused all my energy on supporting our Operations managers because I knew my knowledge could be used to explain how critical certain products were and which products we needed to prioritize.” Wanting to help in any capacity that she could while still protecting herself and her son, Maggie was able to provide support at the vaccination clinic. She recalls feeling like she was truly helping as both a nurse and a Critical Products Manager knowing that her work was allowing one more nurse to stay at the bedside and care for those who needed it most.

Throughout the pandemic, Maggie has exemplified true strength and leadership balancing parenthood, clinical care, and resource and supply management. Looking back on the last year, Maggie said resiliency is the word that comes to mind: “Healthcare and supply chain professionals are extremely resilient, we continually come back stronger and more prepared. The pandemic forced us to work harder than ever before in the face of adversity but it also made us stronger individuals and better teams.”