A Place to Grow

Although she’s had plenty of amazing experiences in her two years at Northside Hospital, Desire’ F. can sum up what sets us apart in one word: Growth.

“I would say it’s an exponential amount of growth, and it opens up growth for you as an individual,” she said. “It’s personal growth and development as a career pathway.”

Desire’ started here as a staff nurse, then became a supervisor and is now a Med/Surg manager at Northside Cherokee. She will oversee the opening of a GI unit in October and a same day surgery unit in December.

She feels she has become a showcase for how Northside supports team members on their career journeys.

“Northside Hospital has a great program for leadership development,” Desire’ said. “These specific courses allow one to gain solid communication skills and materials. In addition, the program provides support, education and access to resources you need to succeed here.”

Success is something Desire’ – and everyone here – celebrates. Succeeding every day in the demanding environment of healthcare is among the things that define what working at Northside is all about. Desire’ says there are plenty of others.

“The people I work with” she said, citing what she loves most about working at Northside. “It’s about bringing together community and extending that culture to the floor. That creates the close relationships, family bonding and teamwork that allows us to set and keep our service standards so high. We pride ourselves on excellence.”

Desire’ said anyone who has their sights set on a Northside career needs to embrace excellence in whatever they do – because it will pay off.

“The standards here are like no other,” she said. “There are lots of opportunities, too, such as externships, in different areas of the healthcare system that could lead to your growth. [Northside] really places individuals where they will flourish.”

Because of the focus on growth, Desire’ said there might be some people who wouldn’t fit into the Northside family.

“Somebody who does not enjoy learning new things and who doesn’t like change, for example,” she said. “Negativity is not something we’d like to see flourish on the floor, so we can’t have somebody who doesn’t want to grow with us.”

What other advice does she have for job seekers?

“We look for retention,” Desire’ said. “We want someone who is honest and loyal, someone who has ambition to further their career growth.”

When she looks ahead to her own career growth, Desire’ said she is excited about the foundation she is building here.

“I just really want to embed myself into the community and really make myself an asset here,” she said. “I want to enhance the culture (if that’s even possible) and make it a better experience for my colleagues and our patients. I want to plant a good culture seed so we can expand on that.”