We’re excited to spotlight Andrea Wilson, Director of Patient Safety at Phoebe Putney Health System!
- How long have you been in nursing, and what do you enjoy most about it? I have been a nurse for 20 years. I have always had a servant heart and find the most joy in helping others.
- Can you share a favorite patient or team member story—one that reminds you why this work matters? Through the years I have been lucky to have been positioned to care for others during their most difficult times. I had the privilege to care for a patient that had a catastrophic stroke. She did not have any family to come see her. I knew her time with us was limited. I got to be the last one so speak to her, to hold her hand, and be present when her body had completed its journey. Nobody was there, just she and I. I am grateful to have been there, and to have been the one to care for her and her body after her spirit had left it.
- How has Practicing Excellence influenced the way you care for patients, support your team, or lead others? Practicing Excellence has shown me that I am not the only one that believes that we can do better and be better. Many of us have our own ‘why’ and say we want healthcare delivery to improve but at times have difficulty articulating the actions to make the improvements we desire. The team of practitioners at Practicing Excellence share their own stories of why this work is so important and have curated actionable items for us to drive change.
- Is there a Practicing Excellence tip or skill that has become part of your everyday practice? Can you share an example of when it made a difference? As the Director of Patient Safety, I use the skill of recognizing those that are demonstrating behaviors that support our culture of safety. I recognize my coworkers in our daily safety huddles and have made this recognition a highlight of our monthly committee meeting.
- What skills or areas of growth are you most excited to continue developing for yourself and for your team? Continuing to build leadership behavior skills to support a culture of safety is most important to me. We want our front-line staff to develop these behaviors. In order for that to happen, our front-line leaders have to know, use, and support these skills. This is essential to the growth of our safety culture.
- What have you done to help your team see Practicing Excellence as something that supports them, rather than feeling like “one more thing”? Focusing on what they learn through the program rather than compliance with participation. Calling out the content when real life opportunities to use it arise.
- How have you seen your team put Practicing Excellence skills into action in their everyday work? Our leaders are using Practicing Excellence videos as safety conversation starters.
Caroline Anderson is a Content Specialist at Practicing Excellence, specializing in developing and delivering curriculum for the healthcare workforce. She brings a talent for turning complex ideas into practical insights and is passionate about using the power of storytelling to spark meaningful change.
