Executive L3ADERS Application

Essay Questions
1. When I round on 12 SW as a Department Coordinator, one of my favorite NACs from
my time as a Health Scholar there always enjoys jokingly calling out Be careful, here
comes the Big Boss! We share a laugh each time, acknowledging that despite my novel
professional attire, the dynamic we shared has not changed. However, the same
relationship cannot exist between me and the Health Scholars I manage; as tempting as it
is to be casual and informal with people who are my age and often my friends, part of the
professionalism required of the role beyond the get up is interacting with them in a
manner that maintains the integrity of the position.
When I was rounding one time, I came across a Health Scholar also one of my good
friends tucked away in a lounge doing homework during his shift. Upon asking him
what he was working on, he explained that since there was little going on, he was using
the time to get his homework done. In fear of affecting our friendship, I could have
allowed this to pass. However, within the context of the program and hospital, our mutual
responsibilities transcended that friendship. I did not apologetically explain the program
policy to him as a way to save face with him, but kindly reminded him of his
commitment to the program and the expectations of that commitment. Because I did not
employ a Big Boss tone but conveyed that I was serious, he acknowledged the gravity
of the situation and took ownership in stride.
2. As a member of L-Team, and even more so as a member of X-Team, I hope to inspire a
culture of rigorous integrity in this program. When I was merely a program participant, I
remember being in legitimate awe whenever I came across a L3ADER. They were the
ideal to strive towards, and I believe most Health Scholars would agree. As such, it is
imperative that we continuously set our standards to the highest degree, for not only are
we the crux of the program from an administrative standpoint, but we set the tone of the
entire establishment.
For me, this commitment to integrity would begin with Training. What exists as a set of
steps in the Training Manual comes to life through us L3ADERs, and without L-Team
demonstration in the skills station, Training Days would be devoid of value. Anyone can
read through the manual and memorize the information, but the spark of energy which
makes Health Scholars a vital addition to the patient care team is not contained within
those pages. With this responsibility, it is imperative that as a L3ADER I do not simply
recite the steps written in the manual, but imbue them with the excitement and
compassion that inspired me to become a Health Scholar in the first place. Even if I find
myself teaching the same skill station for the hundredth time, there should be no hint of
apathy in my person. I should not shrug off any skills or steps as less important or
irrelevant. By holding myself to this level of sincere integrity, the Health Scholars will
perceive the steps outlined in the training manual as more than boxes to be checked to
ensure a passing grade, but crucial standards to work by in order to ensure the best patient
care.

3. My first real test in upholding standards of professionalism as a L3ADER was a situation

involving improper e-mail etiquette with one of my Health Scholars. While he instigated
the event by becoming argumentative and accusatory towards me when I had questioned
his integrity regarding a rescheduling request, I did not aid matters when I rose to his
provocation and responded with a few choice words and a tone that was biting, slightly
caustic, and certainly not professionally neutral. Needless to say, he became upset and the
situation escalated beyond my control. I take full responsibility for this, even though the
initial incident was not my fault and the Health Scholar himself behaved
unprofessionally. If I had been able to respond with a cooler temperament, the ensuing
fallout could have been avoided.
I sought some advice from Leah Rosengaus, and she told me that the first thing I should
do when receiving such e-mails is step away. She advised I take the time to cool down,
clear my head, and most importantly allow the sting of personal affront to wear off so
as to return with an impartial perspective. She then told me that reading e-mails aloud
provides a good gauge of tone, and that if I am unsure, there is nothing wrong with
sending it to someone else for feedback.
The entire ordeal, from incident to mentorship, was an extremely humbling experience
for me. It forced me to take a better look at the person I was, and the L3ADER I wanted
to be. I realized I had brought an air of vanity to my position, for which there is no place
if one wants to be an effective leader: all it will accomplish is souring relations with those
you are responsible for, and it precludes any potential growth. Recognizing these facts
will, I hope, ensure I can excel as an Executive L3ADER.
4. Academics 16 credit-hours, +30 hours studying/work outside of class
Seattle Childrens Volunteering Every Friday, 1:30-4:30
Qdoba Approximately 10 hours/week
Mortar Board 1-hour bi-monthly meetings (Sundays), miscellaneous service projects
with variable time frames/dates.
Up to this point, I have worked the schedule for all my other obligations around COPE
because it is the extra-curricular activity I value the most. I will continue to do so to
accommodate the additional responsibilities of X-Team, or I will relinquish those
commitments in order to make room for X-Team if needed.
I am somewhat concerned about transportation since I no longer have a car. The commute
from my home to Swedish takes almost an hour by bus. However, I believe I will have
adequate space in my schedule to allow for transportation. Hopefully I can also carpool
with fellow L3ADERS. Commuting is not something which will prevent me from
carrying out my X-Team commitments and duties, but it will prove an additional hardship
to bear. However, it is one I am willing to endure.

Capstone Project
One aspect of this program that I have observed and personally experienced is a sense of
isolation and disconnect from the community. This manifests itself for the Health Scholar by way
of being on shifts alone and only ever interacting with other Health Scholars at the odd AllScholar Meeting or in passing in the halls. As a Department Coordinator, I have had the great
blessing of forging a tight-knit community with my fellow L3ADERS, but there are aspects of
my role that still contain elements of isolation and disconnect. Purported to be an intermediary
position between Health Scholars, the Nursing Staff, and COPE, instead of being a bridge I find
myself caught in a rectangular relationship in which my interactions with each of the entities I
represent are mutually exclusive. In addition, the largely behind-the-scenes nature of my
position (completed for the most part remotely and electronically) further heightens this sense of
disconnect. Although we are all aware of each others existences under the Swedish roof and that
we are associated in some manner, there lacks an impression of unity.
To rectify this, I propose implementing a Mid-Rotational Department Meeting at which the
Department Coordinator, all Health Scholars of that floor, and some representation from the
Nursing Staff (be it the Nurse Manager, Charge Nurse, or any other interested members of the
staff) will be expected to attend. By bringing all these individuals together at one time, it would
physically establish the link between them and provide the means for a truly intersectional
dialogue to occur. In doing so, we will not only foster a greater sense of community within our
program and our hospital, but also assert ourselves as a unified front rather than a disparate set of
cogs.
Since the Department Coordinator is the glue binding each of these groups together (and since
my proposal was predicated by a desire to assert the DCs role amongst these groups), the first
point of the Meeting should be a Departmental Report by the DC. This should consist of the
materials which the DC is responsible for gathering and facilitating: Weekly Metrics and Health
Scholar Performance. A discussion of the former would include a review of program policy
regarding shift reschedules and absences, and a report on how many hours each Health Scholar
has worked (and how many will be needed in the latter half of the Rotation). Sharing the Weekly
Metrics will be particularly beneficial for developing a sense of community and providing
further impetus to work harder. By emphasizing what we as a Department have accomplished,
and what we can do further to fill the gaps in the calendar and avoid missing shifts, it will
create a sense of solidarity between the Health Scholars, the staff, and the hospital. When I
myself review the Weekly Metrics, there arises a drive to achieve more when our performance is
displayed in such a quantitative fashion. I think it only right to share this information with the
Health Scholars so that they too may recognize their contributions in the grander scheme of
things. In addition, I think this will provide the Department Coordinators themselves a greater
incentive to collect Weekly Metrics, not just because they are required to as Department
Coordinators and for this potential Mid-Rotational Meeting, but as a gauge of their own
performance.
The latter half of the DCs report to start the meeting should review Health Scholar performance
on the floor. For one thing, it seems redundant if the feedback we receive from the nurses while
rounding is not communicated to the Health Scholars, so this would provide the avenue for that.
It is also impossible to gather information on each and every Health Scholars individual
performance on the floor (and more often than not, the nurses will only ever respond with a

vague Theyre all very good when rounding on the floor), so pooling the feedback gathered
during Department Coordinator rounds and delivering it at the meeting will serve to counsel the
entire department in what it means to be an ideal Health Scholar. In the company of their peers,
this feedback will I think once again inspire the dogged determination towards excellence within
the Health Scholars that they were fueled with during Training but may have lost when their
experience on the floor became so individualized.
The discussion of Health Scholar performance provides a natural means for the Nursing Staff to
engage in the Meeting. They could provide some critical feedback regarding how Health
Scholars can be the most helpful on the floor, instead of just a superficial assessment of the
quality of their work. This would also be a great place for the Department Coordinator and the
Health Scholars to reiterate to the Nursing Staff our Scope of Practice, in order to make even
more clear the kinds of tasks we are able to perform. Along with this should be a review of
certain key elements from Training that Health Scholars are prone to lose touch with in the time
since they first learned it (the proper way to don/doff PPE, the Emergency Pager number, etc.).
To wrap up the Mid-Rotational Meeting, the emphasis should be on the Health Scholars voice.
Here they should be able to raise any logistical questions or concerns, and provide feedback for
the Department Coordinators own performance and suggestions to improve it. This time should
also be used to elaborate upon the Scholar Stories initiative. In the intimacy of their own
department and the context of a shared experience, I think the Health Scholars will be more
willing to engage in discussion. They will find new meaning in the program, new meaning in
each other, and new meaning in themselves as part of a greater community.
Ultimately, this proposed Mid-Rotational Meeting will be the means to increase the effectiveness
of the Health Scholar Program on a variety of fronts. First, it will require the most from the DC.
They will have to be more diligent and organized in their daily duties so as to be best prepared
for the meeting. By the first week of the rotations second month, they should have a survey sent
out to the Health Scholars to coordinate a time for the meeting, which should take place no later
than the third week of the second month. At the time the survey is sent out, the DC should also
be in communication with the Nursing Staff to ensure its presence at the meeting. Whatever
goals are agreed upon as a Department during the Meeting should be implemented immediately
and tracked before the subsequent All-Scholar Meeting, at which the DC can provide a brief
update on the Departments progress. The Mid-Rotational Meeting may only exist as one point of
convergence for the floor, but it will provide the means for ensuring consistent quality
throughout the rotation in a measure that is both retroactive and proactive.