PONL - Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders

PONL congratulates our inaugural DAISY Nurse Leader Award winner, Maggie Erb, MSN, RN. Maggie is part of the Southeast PONL Region and works at Fox Chase Cancer Center, in Philadelphia, PA. Read Maggie's nomination letter to learn why she was so deserving of this award: Within the past year, this nurse completed the fundamentals of chemotherapy certification, thus role modeling to the novice nurses throughout the inpatient setting the importance of this content and that the certification is attainable. This candidate seeks out nurses who must complete their required chemotherapy administrations for certification to ensure this certification is achieved promptly. Maggie leadership extends beyond the corridors of her/his unit. This nominee is a nursing resource for those caring for medical oncology inpatients, often fielding questions regarding goals of care, multidisciplinary communication, length of stay, and inpatient chemotherapy regimens, regardless of what unit the medical oncology patient resides. This candidate truly listens when team members speak. It was identified that chemotherapy infusions were running longer than the scheduled 24-hour infusions. Maggie leader worked with her/his team to conduct a study to assess the correlation with the use of anti-siphon tubing. In addition, auditing pumps working with Agiliti and pharmacy to analyze other causes of the extended infusion times.

The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by members of the family of Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 due to complications of the autoimmune disease, ITP. Like the many families' nurses see every day who go through this kind of horrific loss, the Barnes family wanted to find a way to turn their grief into something positive and do something that would honor the very special man Patrick was. As a result, they came up with DAISY – an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System - and The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Their intent was to offer patients, families, and co-workers a way to express their gratitude to nurses, telling their stories of the amazing work nurses every day. What started out as a thank you from the Barnes family to nurses has grown into various meaningful recognition programs embraced by healthcare organizations around the world. Today we are excited to present our inaugural PONL DAISY Nurse Leader of the Year Award, recognizing an extraordinary nurse leader from the state of Pennsylvania. Congratulations to Maggie Erb on her nomination and win for the Annual DAISY Nurse Leader Award! This beautiful sculpture called The Healer’s Touch was presented to Maggie. This is an ancient African design, dubbed a ‘Healer’s Touch’ by Bonnie and Mark Barnes.

Day Two of PONL's Annual Nursing Leadership Conference Starts Today! Check out the PONL Conference page for additional information: https://buff.ly/3z7MFOk

Day One of PONL's Annual Nursing Leadership Conference Starts Today! Check out the PONL Conference page for additional information: https://buff.ly/3z7MFOk

Join Us Tomorrow for the PONL Annual Nursing Leadership Conference at the Hilton Harrisburg in Harrisburg, PA! Here are just a few of the compelling reasons: Enjoy a supportive environment that fosters professional growth and development. Connect with nurse leaders and peers for valuable networking opportunities. Earn up to NINE continuing education credits to maintain licensure and certifications. Discover innovative solutions to common challenges in nursing leadership. Gain insights into healthcare policy and advocacy efforts affecting nursing practice. Explore the latest products and services from exhibitors with our new demo showcase. Exchange ideas and best practices with professionals from diverse healthcare settings. Hear from expert speakers and thought leaders on cutting-edge topics. Enhance your leadership skills and competencies to drive positive change in your organization. Establish meaningful new relationships that can advance your professional journey. Register here to join us: https://buff.ly/3LVtDjv

Last Chance, Don't Miss Out! Our speakers are sure to bring their passion for nursing leadership with them to Harrisburg this year! Secure your spot to attend the PONL Annual Nursing Leadership Conference! Find details about the schedule, speakers, and topics on our 2024 Conference Page. Mark your calendars for Thursday & Friday, September 26-27, 2024, and join us in Harrisburg, PA! To register, please visit https://buff.ly/3LVtDjv

PONL is pleased to highlight board member Eric Pecuch, MSN, RN. He currently serves in the role of Director of Patient Care Services for the LVHN-Muhlenberg Float Pool, Muhlenberg Nursing Supervisors and the LVHN Multisite Float Pool. He obtained a BSN from the University of Tennessee in Psychology in 2009 and began his career as a Mental Health Technician on the Behavioral Health unit at LVHN-Muhlenberg in 2012. From there he attended Cedar Crest University to obtain his BSN in Nursing in 2016 and started his nursing career on a med-surg/ortho unit at LVHN-Muhlenberg. From there he moved to a position in the Float Pool in 2018. In 2020 he obtained his MSN in Nursing Informatics from Wilkes University and became an adjunct faculty at Cedar Crest College. In 2020 he also accepted the role of Patient Care Manager of the Float Pool at LVHN-Muhlenberg and transitioned to the role of Director in 2022. He has been serving a term as PONL Emerging Nurse Leader for the PERONL region since January of 2024. His proudest moment as an RN has to be that the Float Pool at LVHN-Muhlenberg has been recognized as Colleague Engagement Megastars by LVHN in 2022 and again in 2024. Seeing his staff be so engaged with their network and continuing to strive for excellence for patients is what continues to drive him forward as a leader. In his spare time, he is found playing tennis, disc golf or hiking. He loves traveling and loves exploring new places and finding new trails to climb. He looks forward to driving nursing leadership engagement and continuing to grow and expand membership in the PERONL region.

Secure Your Spot Today! Our speakers are sure to bring their passion for nursing leadership with them to Harrisburg this year! Secure your spot to attend the PONL Annual Nursing Leadership Conference! Find details about the schedule, speakers, and topics on our 2024 Conference Page. Have a group of five or more attending? Save even more! Group members can register individually and note the Hospital or Employer in the "Group" Field during registration. If you need a consolidated invoice, please email admin@ponl.net with the list of attendees to be included in the invoice. Mark your calendars for September 26-27, 2024, and join us in Harrisburg, PA! Please visit https://buff.ly/3Xrb2kr for more information

PONL is thrilled to spotlight one of our board members and Membership chairperson, Stacey-Ann Okoth, PhD, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE as a published author. See below for an excerpt from her book and additional information. Resilience Through the Stethoscope: A Nurse Executive’s Journey As nurse leaders, we navigate a challenging landscape that demands not only our expertise but also our resilience. Recent studies reveal that nearly 60% of healthcare professionals experience burnout, underscoring the intense pressures we face in our roles (Source: Journal of Healthcare Management, 2023). In this high-stakes environment, psychological safety transcends being merely a management strategy; it is a foundational pillar crucial for maintaining the well-being of both ourselves and our teams. Psychological safety enables staff to speak up, share concerns, and contribute ideas without fear of retribution, which has been shown to improve both patient outcomes and employee satisfaction. For instance, organizations that prioritize psychological safety see a 30% increase in employee engagement and a 50% reduction in errors (Source: Harvard Business Review, 2022). Ensuring that everyone feels secure, supported, and valued not only enhances team performance but also fosters a culture of trust and collaboration, ultimately leading to more resilient and effective healthcare teams.

PONL is happy to highlight Laura Wetzel, MSN, RN, AGPCNP-BC, Co-Chair PERONL region. Laura has worked at St. Luke’s University Health Network since 2007, in a variety of patient care roles on Medical-Surgical/Trauma units, as well as Labor & Delivery. Most recently, over the past three years, she has served in the role as Patient Care Manager of a 36-bed medical-surgical trauma unit, West 4, at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus, Easton, PA. She was instrumental in implementing a LPN Blended Nursing Team (BLT) Model at the Anderson Campus. This model was shared at both state and national conferences. It was also the winner of the 2023 St. Luke’s President’s Quality Award. She is excited to be co-chairing PERONL, encouraging participation of new members, and hosting guest speakers at bi-monthly sessions. Laura previously worked and supervised on labor & delivery for 15 years. In January 2020, Laura helped lead the opening of a brand-new “Women’s & Babies Pavilion” at the Anderson Campus, which includes 32 labor delivery rooms, 26 NICU bassinets, and 32 ante/post- partum beds allowing for up to 3,000 births annually. She received her Bachelors in Nursing from DeSales University in 2009 and received her Master of Science in Nursing, Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Studies, from Gwynedd Mercy University in 2017. Prior to working as a nurse, Laura was a competitive figure skater for 20 years, competing twice at the Junior National Championships, and she continues to coach and skate recreationally. In her spare time, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, and fiancé, Jimmy.