Nestor Bruno was Sycamore Medical Center’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 Nestor’s nomination below:
Nestor Bruno, a chaplain at Sycamore Medical Center and Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center, has a genuine passion for his work that helps him raise the spirits of patients and staff alike. He has a special way of connecting with youth. When grief strikes, he makes himself available to anyone and everyone, from helping people through the grief process or actually attending a funeral in support. He attends to the care of patients, performing small tasks like shutting a door or making them comfortable that can have a big impact on how patients feel. He has been an instrumental leader in implementing a new Caregiver Resiliency model of care, which is aimed at helping caregivers maintain a sense of normalcy throughout the stress they may experience. In his own time, Nestor teaches Sabbath school classes at his local church.
Great Leader
Nestor has done wonders for the morale of staff and patients from the moment he started working as a chaplain at Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center. Chapel groups are typically not very popular, especially with the adolescent group. However, when Nestor is on the unit, kids and adults alike are more than enthused to go to group and hear what he has to say. Nestor also has a special way of connecting with the youth. He will find out what they like and try to understand the world that they are living in. He tries to find similar ground based off of song lyrics and the themes they represent. Nestor doesn’t just preach to patients. He gets to know each person and talks about what is happening in their lives. You can tell he is genuinely passionate about his job and those around him. He is always willing to stay and talk to staff or patients and is always willing to put in extra work. He asks questions and will volunteer to help in any way he can.
Goes Beyond the Call of Duty
Within the first week of Nestor arriving at Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center, a beloved co-worker and friend to many of the staff passed away unexpectedly. Nestor was there right away to help support the team in any way possible and made himself available to patients who were witnessing the staff grieve. He made it a point that week to be at the funeral home with the family he had never met and with the staff he had just met that week. He even met with staff after the service, bringing a tea cart and cookies to help provide comfort and lift up their spirits. In an effort to further care for the staff member’s family, Nestor suggested that the team create a scrapbook of memories documenting the times shared with the team member that had passed. The staff then shared the book with the co-worker’s family members. Nestor has gone beyond the call of duty right away in his role at Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center to help the staff in such a difficult time. Many that work with him are excited to see what the future holds for Nestor, as he is a blessing to the staff and community.
Reflects the Mission and Values of Kettering Health Network
Nestor models all of our values at Kettering Health Network, but above all, Nestor reflects our caring value. His leaders receive countless compliments about Nestor from staff and patients’ family members on a consistent basis. He made such a difference with the culture at Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center. He always goes above and beyond for patients and makes sure they are comfortable and closes their doors as he walks throughout the unit so they are able to get peaceful rest on a sometimes noisy unit. Not only is he doing this for the patients at Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center, but also for the staff. One staff member shared that they were in a wheelchair attempting to get food back in their office for lunch, and Nestor insisted on helping this co-worker, even setting up his food for him and taking the time to go out of his way to make this co-worker feel special. His co-workers shared that Nestor portrays one of the kindest and most grateful attitudes they have ever experienced.
Gives Back to the Community
In his free time, Nestor teaches Saturday School classes for young adults at his local church. He is also very involved with a Clergy Care Line within Kettering Health Network that supports clergy of other faiths. He is promoting this program in a new way, making it better utilized by others in the community. Nestor has also been leading the implementation of the Caregiver Resiliency model of care, which allows caregivers to maintain a sense of normalcy in the presence of stress. A caregiver under severe stress, such as one caring for patients with chronic conditions, critical illness, violence, or addiction, may experience cognitive, emotional, social, or instrumental imbalances that can disturb their practice. Nestor is leading caregivers within an inpatient psychiatric hospital to develop resilience in response to major stressors with a model of support that impacts the mind, body, and spirit. Nestor has enabled clinical team members to embrace change and bounce back from stressful events, helping caregivers learn new skills to relax the body and release physical tension, utilize humor, thoughtful reflection, and strong communication. This has made an important difference in employee engagement and the ability to deliver care to challenging patients in the community.