When you sit down with Paula Bostwick, RN, MSN, CENP, chief nursing officer at Sheppard Pratt, the first thing that will stick out to you is her warmth. That warmth is reinforced when you ask her why she’s a nurse and why she took the role at Sheppard Pratt. “It’s all about connection,” shares Paula.
“Sheppard Pratt is the best of the best; looking from the outside in, it’s the premier place you send people who really need help,” Paula says about the world-renowned mental health organization. “I’ve been here for a few months now, and I still get teary-eyed walking across our campuses. I can’t believe I have the opportunity to be here.”
But if you had asked her a mere decade ago, she wouldn’t have described herself as a mental health nurse. “My previous organization was looking for a new leader for their behavioral healthcare offerings, and I told them, ‘I don’t do mental health,’” she recalls. “But when I decided to give it a try and started in the role, I realized I had always done behavioral health–it’s all about the people connection. That’s what I love the most."
Behavioral health takes us back to the roots of nursing, to our ‘why.’ We’re in nursing because we want to connect with others.
And here at Sheppard Pratt, Paula is truly focused on connection. “I am on the units and in our programs as much as possible,” she shares. “I love taking the time to talk with and learn about my coworkers.” She has hit the ground running, focusing on consistently communicating with her teams through a weekly Nursing Newsletter. She is also bringing the nationally acclaimed DAISY Award program to Sheppard Pratt, ensuring that our nurses are recognized for their work by staff and patients alike.
Outside of hospital walls, Paula is working to unite nursing across Sheppard Pratt programs. “The work we do is so diverse and touches so many lives; sharing our knowledge and enriching skills across the continuum of care is critical for the 80,000 people we serve each year,” says Paula.
In addition to her work empowering nurses and programs throughout Sheppard Pratt, she’s furthering Sheppard Pratt’s reputation as the preeminent place to learn about mental health nursing. From expanding the nurse residency program, which supports new nurses as they embark on a career in mental health, to forging new partnerships with local colleges and universities, Paula is building a meaningful and sustainable pathway to mental health nursing education excellence.