June 12, 2019 — My next visit was with a dynamic group of women who have taken on one of the more challenging roles at Rady Children’s: house supervisor.
House supervisors are truly the “air traffic controllers” at Rady Children’s. They are responsible for overseeing patient care, staffing and any other issues that may arise, day and night, at all of Rady Children’s campuses, including satellite locations.
I visited the group during one of their monthly two-hour meetings, in which they share information about operations, review announcements, celebrate birthdays and enjoy some great food, like the homemade kolaches we had today (kind of like a sausage inside a crescent roll).
Checking out the latest addition to my stamp collection
We went around the table and I heard from each team member about the challenges they face and the most rewarding parts of their jobs. One common theme was that this team embraces the role of being problem-solvers. The house supervisors are the go-to people who “get called about everything” and like solving puzzles, especially those that are tough to resolve. They enjoy helping out their colleagues and being a trusted resource. One remarked, “If anybody wants to know what’s going on, we’re the person you want to talk to.”
House supervisors also serve a vital role if on duty during a disaster. They are often the first to take charge, opening the hospital’s command center and serving as the incident commander until other leadership is in place.
The “air traffic controller” stamp (right)
One of the challenges of the position can be navigating staffing during times of high or low census. It can be like a 3- dimensional chess board moving the pieces around to make sure units are not under or overstaffed. Through it all, this team is always guided by doing what’s best for our patients.
One sentiment that was unanimous among this team is that they love their jobs, and they love never facing a dull moment. At least half of the house supervisors have been working at Rady Children’s for more than 20 years. During my visit, I heard members of this group say, “This is my favorite job of all,” “I love this role” and “I hope to do this until I retire.”
These are the kind of engaged and positive people you want to have in such an important role, and they’re good people to know whenever you have a problem that needs solving!
