Nadine Haddad, RN, started her journey with University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) five years ago as a patient care supervisor at the M Health Fairview Masonic Cancer Clinic. There, she focused largely on leading a team of oncology nurse care coordinators and triage nurses, elevating both roles and providing nursing support.
In January 2021, she assumed her new role as the clinical operations director of the 2 North at the M Health Fairview Clinics and Surgery Center. In her new role, she transitioned from a mix of direct patient care and management to solely management, where part of her roles includes facilitating workflows and coordination of care to ensure nurses have the support they need to care for their patients to the best of their abilities.
Supporting the people that support patients
When asked about her favorite part of her role, she emphasized her passion for helping others by “Supporting the people that support our patients.”
“Before I came to M Physicians, I delivered bedside care as a nurse in a hospital for oncology patients. When I came to M Physicians, I did a lot of care coordination and triage in our clinic,” Haddad said. “As I move away from direct patient care in the outpatient setting, I never want to forget the work people are doing to deliver that care, inpatient and outpatient––and want to work on making their jobs as seamless as possible because that is what has a direct impact on our patients.”
Oftentimes, patients are scared when they come into our clinic with a new cancer diagnosis. Haddad emphasized the importance of creating a space where people want to be. By providing support to her nursing staff, they are then able to provide top-quality care to their patients.
Creating a patient-centered environment
Haddad hasn’t always been in a leadership role. In fact, much of her career has been spent directly working with patients at their bedside.
“My initial role at M Physicians was my first step away from direct patient care,” Haddad said. “I have always been a nurse, so stepping into a leadership role was scary because I know that in my heart, I am taking care of patients, but in a different way. In the new role, it’s interesting because when making decisions, I still very much think like a nurse but I also must keep our business operations in mind.”
Although the work she is doing might be different than she is used to, she has the unique ability to create patient-centered care in a new way.
“I feel like I have an opportunity to impact patient care on a different scale. Not a better scale, not a worse scale, but just a different one,” Haddad said.
She will always have a special appreciation for the hard work that nurses do––and her role allows her to do just that.
“Nurses are critical to every healthcare institution, and I want to be a leader that supports nurses in their daily work and in their professional development, and elevate the nursing profession at our organization as a whole,” Haddad said.