Greene Memorial, Shout Outs

Diane Adkins Nominated for OHA Health Care Worker of the Year Award

Read Time: 5 mins

Diane Adkins was Greene Memorial Hospital’s nominee for the Ohio Hospital Association’s 2017 Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award. One employee from each campus is nominated for this award, which is presented annually to one Ohio hospital caregiver who personifies a leader, gives back to the community, reflects the mission and values of his or her organization, and routinely goes beyond the call of duty. You can read Diane’s nomination below:

Diane Adkins, a charge nurse on the night shift at Greene Memorial Hospital, is a catalyst for the community who inspires others with her enthusiasm. As an experienced caregiver and leader, she mentors new nurses as they get started in their careers. She goes beyond her expected duties to care for people; in one case, she arranged for a kennel to take care of a patient’s dog while he was in the hospital. Diane has volunteered to lead and organize more than 15 community events, where she feels she can make a big impact.

Great Leader

With over 30 years of nursing experience at Greene Memorial Hospital, Diane Adkins is heavily relied on by the staff both in her department and throughout the hospital. Diane has been a steadfast night shift charge nurse for the Emergency Department. As a leader, she is able to manage the department to effectively direct the care of patients. She is always helping staff members care for their patients. Diane is a strong leader who takes new nurses under her wing and mentors them. She recently mentored three nurses into the charge nurse role, and her knowledge and expert skill helped them perform better as charge nurses. She is an exemplary nurse and sets high standards for others to see, making her someone that other nurses want to emulate. Being a charge nurse to the night shift staff requires excellent leadership, as there are fewer resources available during the middle of the night. The staff depend on her leadership and clinical expertise to manage care for patients and help reach the hospital’s customer service goals. Diane is a team player and often sacrifices her time to fill vacant shifts and ensure we have the right amount of nursing staff.

Goes Beyond the Call of Duty

Diane regularly shows her willingness to go beyond the call of duty for both patients and staff. In one case, she arranged for a kennel to take care of a patient’s dog while he was in the hospital. The Emergency Department staff know Diane is a team player, and they are thankful when she volunteers to fill a hole in the staff schedule to ensure the unit is fully covered. One night, the Nursing Supervisor became ill and was not able to fulfill the duties that evening. Without hesitation, Diane stepped in to the Nursing Supervisor role while maintaining her Charge Nurse responsibilities in the Emergency Department. When there is a critical need, she is wiling to step in to make sure that her colleagues do not struggle in their work of providing the best service to the community in Greene County.

Reflects the Mission and Values of Kettering Health Network

Diane reflects the faith-based mission of Kettering Health Network to improve the quality of life for the people in the Greene County community. Diane believes wholeheartedly that the community needs the service that is provided at Greene Memorial Hospital and is extremely committed to providing this service. Diane has taken it upon herself to faithfully pray for all of the staff at Greene Memorial and for the facility as a whole. Recently, Diane gifted her leader a book on faith and shared that she regularly walks outside around the hospital campus while praying for the physicians, administrators, and staff. In addition to the caring attitude that she has for the community, Diane exhibits competence, innovation, and collaboration in her nursing role, which are some of the core values of Kettering Health Network. In addition to her involvement in unit practice council, Diane is always coming to her leaders with ideas to solve problems and promote improvements in the Emergency Department. She is an advocate for the staff and considers their concerns first before sharing feedback to ensure that the Emergency Department has the right people to provide the best care possible.

Gives Back to the Community

Sometimes called “Miss Community Involvement,” Diane does not shy away from opportunities to make a positive impact on Greene County. Diane has volunteered to lead and organize more than 15 community events. Diane organizes all the Community First Aid events put on by Greene Memorial Hospital she donates hundreds of hours every year to ensure community activities like the Greene County Fair and multiple community festivals have first aid stations for the patrons enjoying the fun. One of the largest components of providing first aid at these events is securing competent healthcare providers to man the first aid stations. After rallying her co-workers behind the cause, Diane spends hours creating schedules for volunteers and ensuring all supplies needed are available. Diane personally attends and volunteers at every event, sometimes covering shifts on her own at the often week-long events. Because of her long-term involvement in the community, Diane has a great rapport with the EMS teams in Greene County and knows many of them on a first name basis. She is a catalyst for the community, and she ignites the same enthusiasm in others, making it great fun for everyone.

July 18, 2017
ABOUT K-NEWS

Kettering Health employees’ hub for system updates, stories about our people, events, and more.