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Compassion Is Needed To Succeed In Philadelphia Nursing Field

Elisha Lowe is a registered nurse who owns and operate a nursing agency called Cosmetic Surgery Aftercare Services. The company services surgeons and patients in the Philadelphia region. The aftercare company is licensed by the Commonwealth of PA and the State of New Jersey. Cosmetic Surgery Aftercare Services is a concierge service and employs professional nurses and caregivers with extensive experience in post-operative care for clients who received plastic surgery.

PHI-Nursing
(Photo Courtesy of Elisha Lowe)

Can you describe your duties as a healthcare administrator?

"As the owner and lead administrator of Cosmetic Surgery Aftercare Services, I wear many hats and there is never a dull moment in my day. While I have a multitude of responsibilities, one of the most vital is that of a leader. Over the last 16 years of my nursing career, I've worked in both hospitals and corporate health care. Today as an administrator, our business benefits from what I've learned through both good and bad leadership examples. I've built what I call a dream team around me to help execute day-to-day administrative and clinical operations of our business. We provide specialty-trained nurses and concierge services that support healing after surgery."

 How has education prepared you for your career as a nurse and in health care administration?

"My education began as a diploma prepared nurse at Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Philadelphia. Diploma programs were heavy in clinical practice and exposed me to a variety of areas where I would later practice as a nurse (critical care units, trauma, burn unit, ER). Later, I would go on to complete my B.S.N. and receive a master's in business administration. I worked my way from CNA to RN advocating for patients at the bedside and in boardrooms. Being successful in my role as an administrator requires me to understand and meet the needs of all the stakeholders in the business; my education and experience has thoroughly prepared me to do just that."

What continuing education is required for your role?

"I'm licensed in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey as a registered nurse. In these States, we are required to complete 30 hours of continuing nursing credits every other year. In addition to that I attend business classes and all types of marketing training programs throughout the year. One of my mottos is 'always be learning.'"

What advice would you give someone just starting out?

"In addition to acquiring the right skill sets required for the role, I would suggest developing the positive traits of a health care business leader. In my opinion, one of the number one traits needed to work successfully in our current health care environment is compassion. You have to care about the well-being of others. Other traits include curiosity, resilience and the kind of fearlessness that keeps us advocating for patient rights and safety, growing and innovating as leaders in our field."

Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/

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