Melissa Samuelson thrives on change.
It is an opportunity to learn, believes the chief nursing officer of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.
It creates the momentum to discard what doesn't work, and improve the practices that do work, according to Samuelson, who has gone from a unit secretary to chief nursing officer over the past 35 years.
Samuelson oversees more than 400 nurses across the various departments under the wing of PBRMC, from surgical services to the rural health clinics.
"My responsibility is to ensure we are providing quality, safe care to our patients," said Samuelson.
Samuelson holds a doctorate in nursing practices, and masters and bachelors degrees in nursing.
Her duties include recruitment and retention of nursing staff, development and implementation of policies and procedures, training, education, professional development of staff, evaluating the consistency and competency of nursing services, and developing and maintaining the budget for the nursing division.
She approaches these tasks with a directness that some may find intimidating, but which creates transparency.
"I don't hide things," said Samuelson, who believes getting the best from people means understanding what type of direction they need and providing a lot of encouragement.
Samuelson got her start on a medical surgical floor.
She took care of long-term patients following surgery and during cancer treatments.
The majority of care for cancer patients at that time involved in-patient treatment.
"There wasn't really a lot of cures 35 years ago. We had patients that were in the hospitals for long periods of time for supportive care," Samuelson said. "We got to know their families. We got invited to their weddings. We went to their funerals."
Samuelson struggled with the transition from direct nursing services to leadership positions because of the value she placed on those relationships.
"I didn't want to lose that contact with the patient," said Samuelson.
Her first opportunities to take on more responsibility came as a nurse in the gastroenterology department, where she became department manager and eventually nursing director.
"I gradually started taking on more and more responsibility, developing policies, improving processes and providing directions to staff, and eventually just decided that I would take a leap of faith," she said.
Samuelson left her hometown of Huntsville, Ala., in 2002, when she was offered the chief nursing officer position at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett, Mo.
Samuelson joined PBRMC in 2013.
In addition to her other duties here, she also helps train future chief nursing officers.
Samuelson has made continuing her education a priority throughout her career and believes it is important for all of the hospital's staff.
"I encourage my staff to go back to school, obtain a higher degree, go to a conference, obtain a certification in the area of their specialty, so they can continue to grow and continue to learn different things," Samuelson said.
She also values innovation. She likes to affect change by trying different things.
"I like to implement processes and work to make them successful," Samuelson said, adding, "Actually, it's not too bad to fail at something from time to time. It encourages you to look at things in a different way."
Samuelson is active in regional and statewide nursing organizations. She is the District 6 representative for Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders and the president for Southeast Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders.
These positions allow Samuelson the opportunity to share nursing information not only from the state, but the national level.
She is also adjunct faculty at Three Rivers College. She feels this gives her an opportunity to share her vision of nursing with nursing students prior to their transition from school to their professional career.