A Support to All: Pam Henderson Nurses Patients, Families and Staff
We are happy to announce Pam Henderson as the winner of the inaugural PJ Storley Memorial Nursing Recognition Award. PJ was a woman of strong character who dedicated her life as a registered nurse for Crossroads Hospice in Oklahoma City. She worked holidays, weekends, on call, and after hours. She would do any job that needed to be done. She loved her family, her friends, and her patients. Sadly, PJ died in March 2014 after a short terminal illness. Last May, PJ herself won the Staff Spotlight award and it is fitting that Pam Henderson receive the first award named in PJ’s memory. PJ was an inspiration to us all. To read PJ’s story, visit: http://blog.crossroadshospice.com/nurse-case-manager-staff-spotlight-pamela-pj-storley-rn/.
Building from the Ground Up
Over a nursing career spanning 45 years, Pam Henderson has held her fair share of positions. She’s been a staff nurse, a nurse educator, and even served as the director of nursing at a retirement facility. It was while serving in the latter capacity that she met a representative from Crossroads, who visited her facility to share the fact that they would be opening a site in the Philadelphia area. When Pam became interested in hospice nursing in 2007, this was the first place that came to mind.
Pam joined the Crossroads staff as a case manager just as the Philadelphia site was getting off the ground and she was integral to the facility’s growth.
“The office was very small when I got here,” she says. “We wore lots of hats and did lots of different things. As the patient base has grown, we’ve had to adjust, develop new processes, and change things so that we could manage all of that growth. It was a wonderful experience to develop along with Crossroads in my career.”
Playing Many Roles
Today, Pam is the site’s float for two assistant clinical directors, a mentor to ten nurses, and she assists in managing a team of nursing assistants. She reviews reports on patient visits to see if any adjustments in care plans are necessary, audits patient charts to make sure documentation is correct, assists nurses with paperwork and symptom management issues, as well as a variety of clerical duties for the clinical director’s office.
“Sometimes success is measured by how many audits I was able to accomplish in a day,” she says. “Another day, it’s how well I mentored someone or how many issues I helped solve for a patient. Sometimes it’s the bigger picture, to make sure patients’ needs are being met and that we’re utilizing our staff effectively. It’s always something different.”
Pam’s combination of duties culminates in her role as a cohesive agent for the whole clinical staff.
“I work closely with all the disciplines to make sure we meet the high standards Crossroads has set,” she says. “I want the staff to understand how their piece fits into the bigger picture for the patient. I feel that I’m a big support for a lot of people here. I relish that role. I get a lot of satisfaction in feeling that I’m pulling all this together for the team.”
Maintaining a Direct Touch
In addition to the gratification that comes from the role of staff unifier, Pam appreciates the opportunity to work directly with patients and their families.
“One of the things I love about this company is that it is very patient centered,” she says. “I very much enjoy working directly with patients and families, looking at what’s happening in their current lives, and how we can make that better. I like the ability to still get out and see patients and to touch people’s lives directly.”
Ultimately, this award comes as recognition for a career dedicated to supporting others, not just Crossroads clients, but the staff that goes to work for them every day.
“I’ve been with Crossroads for a very long time,” she says. “I hope that I’m approachable for my staff, that they feel comfortable talking to me. I’m able to give them support and answers. That’s the nurse that I am and the person that I am. It’s been a great deal of responsibility here, but it’s also a lot of fun.”
We’re proud to honor Pam as our Crossroads Hospice “Staff Spotlight” recipient of the month, and recognize our nurses who work tirelessly to serve our patients and families each day, such as: Trudy Mullins in Kansas City, Genevieve Posey in Memphis, Dianne Tiell in Northeast Ohio, Karole Polk in Cleveland, Sherri Warner in Oklahoma City, and Laura Gardner in Lenexa.
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