Interview

- Good afternoon madam?

- Good afternoon.

- What is your official title?

- My official title is Chief Nursing Officer

- What does your job consist of?

- It is in charge of nursing practice and patient care throughout UMC organization.

- What is your educational and professional background?

- I completed BSN, MS and PhD in nursing at Wharton School of Management and University of Pennsylvania though I didn’t do dissertation. I had also taken numerous leadership courses 35 years ago.

- Do you feel that all managers are leaders?

-  I don’t think so because many managers are not taught the required skills for leadership instead they inherit their management roles.

-  In your opinion, what is the difference between a leader and a manager, a leader and a follower?

-  A leader is someone who can motivate, engage, inspire and take others to the next level while a manager is someone in charge of handling operations of systems, programs, or people. On the other hand, a follower does what others tell him.

- Do you think leadership can be learned, or is it an innate quality?

- Yes, it can be learned; however, many skills possessed by leaders are innate qualities.

- 8. What are the three most important values you demonstrate as a leader?

-  Consistency, fairness and Passion are three significant values that I demonstrate.

- What do you believe are the most important characteristics of a leader?

-  Skilled, competent, respectful, trustworthy, effective communication, good listener, accountable, open to new ideas, accessibility and doing the right thing.

- Who are your mentors, or who influenced you in becoming a servant leader?

- They are women who were my faculty while in school and the ones who supervised me.

- What is the most important lesson you learned from your mentors?

- Always be prepared for the job you will be doing, get the education needed for that next position, hone in on your weak areas and improve them, be self aware of strengths & weaknesses and how others perceive you.

- Do you find it difficult working with others who utilize a different management style than your own and how do you adapt?

- No because working with others with different mgmt styles can be challenging but rewarding.

- What do you consider your biggest challenge as a leader? How do you break through these challenges?

- Motivating others by making them to believe in themselves, achieve things they could not achieve and providing them with skills they need to succeed.

- What do you do to make the people you manage or lead respect you as their leader?

-  By respecting them and treating them how you want to be treated. 

- Have you ever had a job that you were unqualified for and what did you do about it?

- Fortunately, I have never encountered the situation in my professional career. I have always had professional goals and taken advantage of my provided opportunities to learn new skills to prepare myself for the next position.

- What are your qualifications for this job?

-  Education – BSN/MS & PhD in nursing course work. - Experience in a variety of nursing roles: staff nurse, education, clinical nurse specialist, neonatal nurse practitioner, manager, and director. - Passion for nursing and quality. - Dedication and commitment to advancing the nursing profession.

-  Do you feel that your employer utilizes “servant leadership style” in their business?

- Yes he utilizes it.

- What are your contributions to the community?

-  Board work – YMCA - YWCA in the past - Donor Network of AZ - Development of programs to benefit community including stroke program, public speaking to high school groups interested in nursing and healthcare, creation of camp scrubs for middle school students to be exposed to nursing

- What do you consider your most significant accomplishments?

- My 3 children, professionally being Arizona’s 1st Magnet Hospital and1:4 RN/Pt ratios at UMC.

- Have you ever accomplished something you didn't think you could?

- Yes, I never thought I could be a CEO though I accomplished it when I was CEO of UPH  

- Are you satisfied with your career to date?

- Yes I am.

- Would you change anything about your career if you could?

-  Yes I would change something in my career if I could

- How do you care for yourself physically and emotionally to ensure that you consistently serve your patients and co-workers?

- I exercise daily & I feel very alive and healthy unlike in the last eight years when I had lots of co-morbidities like diabetes, high BP, cholesterol, plantar fasciitis, and acid reflux among others. I had bariatric surgery and lost 1251bs.

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