Sandy Anderson, RN Charge Nurse West 7 General Medical Unit

Background

I received my Associates in Applied Science degree from Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua, NY, in 1985.  I added certification in aromatherapy while working at Highland. 

Time at Highland Hospital

I came to Highland Hospital right after graduation but moved out of the area in 1988.  When I came back in 1990, Highland was where I wanted to be. The small-hospital family atmosphere can’t be beat. 

Career Path at Highland Hospital

I’ve worked on several units including a general Med/Surg unit and a Gyn Specialty Med/Surg unit.  I also spent some time in the outpatient infusion area.  In addition to my current job on West 7, I work with the Diabetes HealthSource outpatient group as a diabetes educator.

My Dominant Personality Traits

Positive thinking is probably the most important. Everything else flows from that.  It makes me resilient and good at adapting to change.  That’s essential because the only thing constant in medicine is change.  I’m compassionate and upbeat with both patients and staff alike.  I think I’m easy to approach.  People interest me.  I like to find out about them and help them with problems.  I want everyone around me to have a good day, every day.

About the Ambulatory Procedure Center

Nursing’s an art as well as a science.  At Highland, I get to practice that way and combine the human side with the technical side.        

I’m challenged each and every day to learn something new.  The patients we treat on my unit are very diverse so I get to deal with a wide mixture of medical conditions.  You’ll never hear me say that this unit’s boring! 

We really have a collaborative staff that raises the bar in patient care. There’s a lot of mentorship and teambuilding within the group. We have amazingly well-organized teams and everyone has a voice.  We give each other a lot of respect and we’re always there to help one another.  We’re very quality focused, an example being our hourly rounding policy.   

As a charge nurse on the unit, my responsibility is to make sure the unit functions well.  I usually don’t take patient assignments so that I am available to handle emergencies and keep the workload balanced for everyone no matter what happens during a shift.  Of course, I still pitch in whenever I’m needed just like the rest of the team. 

Meeting employee needs is a priority for me.  Staff assignments are a big part of that.  I also do orientation for new graduates and am a mentor for a nurse on another unit.  One of the most rewarding parts of my job is to be a resource for the staff.  They use me as a sounding board for ideas and problem solving.