A Day in the Life of an Administrator: Kathy W. Beydler

Seek a workplace that will support you and don’t be afraid to ‘tip the boat.’

Welcome to A Day in the Life of an Administrator, our online column. This month, we sat down with Kathy W. Beydler, RN, MBA, CNOR, CASC, principal consultant for Whitman Partners in Memphis, Tenn. Outpatient Surgery Magazine is posting these profiles to give the administrators, directors and other leaders in ambulatory surgery industry a voice — and to share, in their own words, what it’s like to walk in their shoes. Their stories offer a glimpse into the significant role these individuals play on the OR team and the challenges they face as they work alongside their colleagues.

OSM: What are some of the most infuriating misconceptions about nurse leadership?
Kathy Beydler (KB): That nurse leadership is a “pencil pusher’s” job, and leaders don’t do anything of value. I’ve heard this over and over in my career as a provider and as a consultant. Nurse leaders, for the most part, have a heart for service and want to make the work environment a good place to work. The disconnect in getting this done is that some nurse leaders may not have the knowledge or skills needed to make that difference. Leadership is about learning and growing, finding out what is important to those you serve, and putting the things in place that will make a difference to them.

OSM: Thinking about your leadership journey, would you say: a.) “I’ve always been drawn toward leadership roles”; b.) “I was thrown into leadership and learned on the go”; or c.) “I’m somewhere between the two extremes”?
KB: I’ve always been drawn to leadership roles in my own way. For instance, I served on several juries and chose to stand back and watch my fellow jurors vie for the foreman role. There are some people who need it for their own ego — to say they were the foreman. There are those who are naturally elected due to their perceived leadership abilities. Finally, there are those who genuinely want to serve to make a difference. I fall in this final category.

This juror example applies to leadership positions in nursing as well. There are those who want to be the manager/director for their own ego — and those are the ones who wreak havoc on the people they work with. There are those who are naturally put in those positions because they’ve been a good nurse and exhibited some leadership abilities but may not be fully ready take on that leadership role. Then, there are those who simply want to serve and make a difference. These leaders may need additional training, but their hearts are in the right place, and they tend to always put their staff first.

OSM: Have you ever had a terrible day or experience that turned out to be a pivotal learning experience?
KB: How much time do you have? I’ve had several. Sometimes these are called SEE — Significant Emotional Events. When I was hired as the administrator of a surgery center, my direct boss was great at mentoring, teaching me about the business of the center and encouraging me to be the best I could be.

When she left, her replacement was the opposite. Her persona before she got the leadership role was 180 degrees different from her persona in the new role. When I went back to school to get my MBA, she made derogatory comments about getting a graduate degree (her bachelor’s was in business, she did not have a master’s, and she was not a nurse). Under her leadership, there was a reduction in force (RIF) among the centers she oversaw and, as one of the newer admins (after nine years!), I was RIFed. Though I may have wondered why at the time, what a blessing that turned out to be! After nine years and some great experience as an administrator, I was able to move to the next level in my career.

OSM: You’ve been a nurse, a nurse leader, a surveyor, a consultant and a keynote speaker. What are the similarities between those roles? The differences?
KB: The greatest similarity is the realization that it doesn’t matter what role or part of the country you’re in, leaders feel like they are out there on their own. They don’t have anyone to safely share their fears and frustrations without fear of losing their jobs. In all my roles, I had the privilege of being a sounding board and a source of encouragement for the leaders I encountered. That is my favorite part of every job I hold.

The differences are specific to the role. As a surveyor, I share what I see, encourage those I meet and, while I must cite what I see, those folks are generally doing a great job taking care of their patients. As a consultant, I’m there to assess the environment and work with the staff and leadership to create a better environment for working and taking care of their patients (similar to a nurse leader!). As a keynote speaker, I have about 50 minutes to provide insights and tips I’ve learned along my journey, share some “war stories” and encourage and inspire my audiences.

OSM: If you could speak with “past Kathy” right before her first case in the OR, what would you say?
KB: First, you’re going to meet some tough personalities. Know when you’re right and stand your ground. Many surgeons are going to exhibit bullying behavior, and you will not want to tip the boat. Tip it anyway. Be assertive and let them know after the case that their behavior was unacceptable, and you expect a professional environment where you can work with them to take care of your patient together.

Complete occurrence reports for continued bullying behavior. If it isn’t addressed by your leadership, they are most likely surgeon-biased and you’re probably in the wrong environment. Seek a place to work that will support you and provide the best possible environment to take care of your patients. You always have options.

OSM: What is the most memorable comment you ever heard from a patient or family member?
KB: Two things. The first is “Thank you for taking care of me.” When a patient comes to surgery, they are at their most vulnerable. I would always stand next to the patient, hold their hand and provide comforting words as they drifted off to sleep. Hearing, “Thank you for taking care of me” as they were lying on the table impacted how I saw the patient experience.

Second, when I was working in the surgical ICU (then a part of perioperative services), I had just been treated for my second round of breast cancer. I was 34 at the time, and had a patient whose journey with ovarian cancer wasn’t going well. When her husband walked in, she woke up and he began to tell her how much he loved her. He begged her to fight and told her he couldn’t live without her. I began to cry and had to leave the room. Witnessing that emotional interaction after just going through round two of breast cancer treatment made a permanent imprint on my heart and made me a better nurse. I realized the impact surgery and the journey back to health can play on not just the patient, but their family members as well.

Note: Outpatient Surgery Magazine thanks Kathy for sharing her life with us! On behalf of our team, we are sending a small token of appreciation to Kathy. If you are an administrator and would like to share your day and special insights for this online exclusive column, please contact our Editor-in-Chief Jared Bilski at [email protected]. Have a great day! OSM