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| Vol. 24, No. 18 |
| October 1, 2002 |
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A Healthy "Send-Off" for Cardiac Patients Tangula Taylor's hobby is juggling. Not balls or bean bags, but hours. Taylor is an accomplished nurse manager, wife and mother who also is working on a master's degree in business and health care administration. "Tangula lets us be a part of the decision-making process and listens to our concerns," said Jean Vanderplow, a registered nurse at Texas Children's. Taylor, a registered nurse and assistant director of nursing for inpatient surgery, started as a graduate nurse in Texas Children's Gordon Emergency Center 11 years ago. "I had the opportunity to work on a value-improvement project, and it was the turning point in my career," Taylor said. "I was challenged with looking at care delivery in a broader scope, and it was very enlightening. After the project was over, I became a nurse manager and later an assistant director of nursing in the emergency center." Taylor said she enjoys the challenge of keeping staff motivated. "Communication is first and foremost. I let the staff know what is going on and why, and I ask for their input at every point possible," Taylor said. Her staff appreciates this approach, said Carrie Anstrand, a registered nurse at Texas Children's. "She treats everyone with respect - it doesn't matter what your title is or how long you've been here," Anstrand said. Taylor said she is very conscious of how she interacts with her employees and makes every effort to keep communication positive and productive. "When you are in a leadership position, there are two components - the hard skills of paperwork and other things you can put your hands on, and then there are the soft skills of how you connect and communicate with people," Taylor said. "What's most important to have a good grasp of are the soft skills," she continued. "You have to be able to connect, be professional and respect your employees." Taylor says her staff is top-notch. "I'm privileged to work with an excellent leadership team and staff," she said. Taylor's commitment to her job, her education, her husband Vincent, and her sons, Nicholas and Brandon, are an inspiration to her staff. While she juggles Little League with leadership, she never drops the ball.
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/10_01_02/page_14.html |