Kristen Fleury | Nurses Week Profile

What are your passions away from work?

“I prefer to spend my free time with my family and pets. With three children, 2 dogs, and 4 hairless sphynx cats, we are always on an adventure! We love the beach, camping, hiking, traveling, and family movie nights.”

What does a day in your life look like at work?

"Currently, I am working with an amazing team to open Optum’s first Ambulatory Infusion Clinic in Phoenix, AZ. I will be the full time Nurse Practitioner once it’s opened. We are working to perfect every detail to ensure a smooth state survey and hope to welcome patients into the clinic this summer. What this looks like daily is a lot of meetings, developing new policies, working in great teams to develop job aids, workshopping new ideas to ensure the best patient experience when they come to our new clinic.”

What is the best part of your job?

“The best part of my job is being able to watch patients, whom often have life-long chronic illnesses, seek, and obtain wellness through the infusions we deliver. I am not treating a chronic illness they have, but instead doing all that I can so they stay as well and as healthy as possible to ensure they have the quality of life that everyone deserves. Every patient I take care of is diligent in making sure their care is on track and it is an honor to be able to do my part in that process."

How do you incorporate Quality and Patient Safety into your work?

“When a patient walks into my clinic for their infusion, they may have had to take time off work, arranged a ride, had to find childcare, etc. I know this firsthand as I have a child that receives regular infusions and injections to stay well. The absolute least I can do is deliver safe, quality care. I do this by adding double checks to my process as well as working as team with the patient. This looks like asking the patient why they are there, asking the patient to verify their name and birthday, as well as them reading the medication label on the infusion bag prior to infusion back to me so we both have checked off that everything is correct. I find these steps relieve anxiety in some patients and aid in providing a safe environment."

What words would you say to a nurse after a challenging day?

“After a nurse experiences a challenging day, I would invite that nurse to envision in their mind a calm lake for a moment, and then to visualize what happens when you throw a small rock in the water. Each of those ripples are the positive effects they had on others throughout the day. Some perceivable to the nurse, and others not. They reach far and wide, touching people you didn’t think possible. While hard days happen, they are never more than the good you put into the universe each and every day through the service you give. Some days, we just have to look harder for the good.”