Just when it seems our lives are everything we dreamed of, life has a way of throwing us a serious curve ball.

In February 2021, Misty Steffen, 48, was on the way to her dream job at HCA Florida South Shore Hospital, working as acting chief nursing officer on the hospital’s all-women leadership team. She had recently moved to Florida, was happily married and had a grown daughter at Galen University studying nursing.

Other than being very fatigued by the number of hours she was putting in to prepare for the role of CNO, she was living the life she had always imagined.

“Misty joined South Shore Hospital as an interim CNO who was enrolled in HCA’s Executive Development Program at the time,” said hospital CEO Sheldon Barr. “We had an instant connection and strong commitment to our mission, which is ‘Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.’”

By early March 2021, Steffen had become South Shore Hospital’s chief nursing officer. As such, she was responsible for retaining nurses, hiring them, providing the tools and resources they needed and creating councils for them to have a voice. She listened to the concerns, thoughts and ideas of her staff and other hospital caregivers, as well.

Source: The Observer News (South Shore, Riverview, Sun City Center and North Manatee)