Kim Kelly, R.N., Administrator, Medical-Surgical Units

She empowers medical-surgical nurses to be specialists and experts in their field

“There is no greater gratification than directly caring for a patient,” says Kim Kelly, R.N., with conviction. Her role as Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s (LVHHN) nursing administrator for medical-surgical patient care services is making a difference in the way that care is provided. “I constantly talk about patient care and remind our medical-surgical nurses that patients must always be our focus,” she says.

It’s been Kelly’s focus since she began her career as a critical care nurse in Washington, D.C., through her most recent stint as director of LVHHN’s open-heart and transitional open-heart units. There, she enjoyed developing and cultivating a team of nursing professionals. “I enjoy being a mentor,” says the University of Maryland and University of Scranton graduate. “That’s where I get my rewards today.”

In 2006, Kelly accepted her first administrative position at LVHHN. She’s responsible for the delivery of patient care in eight medical-surgical units. One of the first things Kelly wants to change is medical-surgical nursing’s reputation. “It doesn’t get as much attention because many nurses believe it’s not as exciting or fast-paced as other areas,” Kelly says. “But I want nurses to know just how rewarding medical-surgical nursing can be, especially at LVHHN.”

Kelly feels medical-surgical nursing at LVHHN is very unique because each unit specializes in one area of care. New nurses can choose a specialty, like orthopedics or oncology, and be trained on the job by a nurse preceptor. “It’s better for the nurses because they become specialists in their field,” Kelly says. “It’s better for patients because they’re being cared for by specialists.”

Over the course of her career, Kelly worked at other excellent hospitals. However, she believes two things makes LVHHN stand out from the rest—Magnet designation and the drive to improve. “Because we’re Magnet, LVHHN is growing,” she says. As the sound of construction equipment hums outside her office window, she says,” I love to hear the sound of growth. It means we’ll soon be able to provide even better care for our patients.”

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