By Natasha S. Bryant
Angela Jalloh, RN, received the 2018 McHugh Leadership Award, which recognizes aspiring nurse leaders in the field of long-term services and supports.
Angela Jalloh, RN, is the winner of the 13th Annual Joan Anne McHugh Award for Leadership in Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Nursing. The award was presented at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting and EXPO in Philadelphia on Oct. 28.
Jalloh is director of nursing (DON) at The Admiral at the Lake, a LeadingAge member and Kendal affiliate in Chicago. In this role, she oversees nursing staff and resident care at The Harbors, which provides skilled nursing and assisted living services.
“Angela is an amazing person who leads with her heart without compromising on what is in the best interest of the individuals and the organization,” wrote CEO/Executive Director Nadia N. Geigler in a letter nominating Jalloh for the McHugh Award. “A balancing act which is a challenge for any seasoned leader looks as easy as breathing when Angela is involved.”
SETTING A HIGH BAR
During her career, Jalloh has earned a reputation for coaching and mentoring her team members to help them fully appreciate their capabilities. Her first assignment after becoming DON at The Admiral involved helping a handful of underperforming employees improve their skills.
Jalloh approached this challenge by setting a high bar for achievement and then offering to help team members meet or exceed that bar, recalls Geigler. In the case of employees who would not change their behavior, “she did not shy away from the difficult conversations that were necessary to make a change,” Geigler wrote.
“As a result, our employee culture throughout the community … is in a completely different place than it was in the early part of 2017 when Angela joined us,” wrote Geigler. “Not only did she do this difficult but important work for us, she modeled success in this area for other leadership team members who needed to have similar conversations within their own teams.”
HELPING TEAM MEMBERS SUCCEED
Jalloh has been able to balance her high expectations for team members with a genuine desire to help those team members reach their full potential, according to Jessica Hartman, an RN at The Admiral.
“Angela is able to communicate easily with staff, residents, and family members to ensure that each individual feels cared for,” wrote Hartman. “(She) genuinely loves what she does and it shows through her enthusiasm to educate others in a way that makes them feel accomplished and competent.”
INCREASING RETENTION
Jalloh is also known for her willingness to support and make accommodation for any team member who is experiencing an emergency or going through a difficult time. That willingness has had an impact on retention rates, according to care partners Freddie A. Vazquez and Denise Ellis.
“With her caring and approachable character, Angela has helped us to feel that we can be part of The Admiral for the long run,” they wrote. “In stressful times like (staff shortages) or family emergencies, not only is she able to lead but she has jumped in to do the floor work like any of us and that … is a quality (we) don’t encounter regularly.”
Team members welcome Jalloh’s willingness to listen to their feedback, involve them in decision making, and make changes to accommodate their needs. Vazquez and Ellis praised Jalloh for involving them and other team members in care planning meetings, and for implementing a meal voucher program for team members who agree to cover an extra shift on their days off.
BREAKING DOWN SILOES
Jalloh has succeeded in breaking down siloes at The Admiral by encouraging team members to support other departments by floating from one level of living to another when the need arises.
“With Angela’s leadership, we have not used agency staff and our staffing has stabilized since she assumed the role of Director of Nursing because ownership over filling open positions is accepted by all staff at every level of living,” wrote Geigler. “That does not happen by accident.”
ABOUT THE MCHUGH AWARD
The McHugh Award was established in memory of Joan Anne McHugh. During her career as a registered nurse, nurse manager, and nursing consultant, McHugh earned a well-deserved reputation for compassion, knowledge, and professionalism, and made a lasting impact on the geriatric health care profession. She died in 2003 at the age of 47.
The McHugh Award recognizes aspiring nurse leaders who provide excellent clinical care to their residents while demonstrating leadership in LTSS nursing and a commitment to the profession.
The McHugh Long-Term Care Nursing Academy first presented the McHugh Award in 2006. The LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston (formerly the LeadingAge Center for Applied Research) established the academy in 2005 to support quality nurse managers in LTSS settings.