Texas Health Fort Worth Vital Part of Her Life
She’s right in the middle of the COVID-19 surge as a director of Critical Care, wearing scrubs and working weekends so she can step in to help care for some of the sickest patients at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.
Charlsea Prichard, M.S.N., R.N., CCRN, CCAP, NE-BC, oversees four intensive care units and three progressive care units — 89 ICU beds and 65 PCU beds.
“Charlsea leads by example,” said Elaine Nelson, D.N.P., R.N., NEA-BC, CENP, the hospital’s chief nursing officer. “Her tireless and dedicated support of the hospital’s critical care nurses is an inspiration to them as well as to other hospital leaders who see her in action.”
But for Prichard, Texas Health Fort Worth is much more than a workplace.
“It’s an integral part of my life,” she said. Learn more about why:
What did you want to be as a kid, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
I knew I wanted to go into healthcare at a very young age. My mother is a nurse. She worked at Texas Health Fort Worth for 20 years. I thought I wanted to be a thoracic surgeon and I was on the premed track, but decided to change to nursing because I wanted to involve myself more in the day to day care at the bedside as an ICU nurse.
What does a typical workday look like?
First I get up and take care of my three children. I get them off to school then start my day as a director — normally meetings, rounding on all the units, and process improvement initiatives.
We are currently overflowing ICU patients into other areas of the hospital. We normally have 89 ICU beds but today (Dec. 30) we are at 101 ICU beds with more ICU patients in the post-acute care unit and Emergency Department holding. To help staff the ICU overflow areas, I am helping at the bedside when needed during the day, including on weekends. I think it is very important that leaders at all levels work with the staff. I need to show them I would not ask anything of them that I would not do myself. It has also helped earn their trust. I try to lead by being an example.
Our biggest challenge has been how to staff the extra ICU beds. We are using team nursing. This is where one ICU nurse is paired with a non-ICU nurse and together they care for a group of ICU patients.
After work, I go home and start my second job taking care of my very active children, who are 17, 14 and 13.
What’s your favorite part of your job, and what is the biggest challenge?
My favorite part of the job is being able to support the critical care nurses. It is my job to make sure they have what they need to care for the patients.
The biggest challenge is making sure the patients are at the center of every decision. I always ask myself “‘What is best for the patient?’ when my team and I are asked to clarify or resolve an issue.”
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
I was born at Texas Health Fort Worth. I started working here 20 years ago as a patient transporter while I was in nursing school. During that time, I met my husband who also worked here. I graduated nursing school in 2001 and started as a graduate nurse in June 2001 in the Trauma Surgical ICU. I worked at the bedside from 2001 to 2006, then as a day supervisor in the Trauma Surgical ICU. I was manager of that unit from 2010 to 2019 and became critical care director in 2019.
I also gave birth to all of my children here at Texas Health Fort Worth.
What are some of the ways you provide excellent care, supporting Texas Health’s Culture of Excellence?
I make sure our critical care units are using the best practice standards supported by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Five of our critical care units have received the Beacon Award from the AACN. Our goal is to have all seven of the units awarded by the end of 2021. The Beacon Award signifies exceptional care, improved outcomes and a supportive work environment for nurses. I am also a Beacon reviewer for the AACN, so I help other critical care units in our system by reviewing their documents before they submit them for the award.
By Judy Wiley • Posted January 5, 2021
