Westminster Communities of Florida is fortunate to have countless team members who exemplify our Mission of service. During Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting the contributions of women in leadership roles throughout our organization. Today, we interview team members who are touching lives through the core of our Mission: Nursing care.
“Women tend to naturally exhibit nurturing qualities, which may be an added value considering our organization’s commitment to caring and promoting the wellbeing of our older adults,” said Marie Desgraves, Director of Westminster Home Care in St. Petersburg. “Women can open new windows by serving as change agents, and by being focused on selective goals for the organization.”
Desgraves worked as a nurse for more than 20 years before she came to our organization. She then served as Assisted Living Coordinator at Westminster Shores, and then as Director of Nursing at Westminster Home Care. Through her hard work and excellent service, she was recently promoted.
She said that she believes that the real value in having women in leadership is to offer diversity. “Diversity in the workplace has a profound influence,” said Desgraves. “Women bring different dimensions to the environment via creativity, empathy and collaboration. In leadership, having various perspectives can lead to better decision-making.”
We asked Jill Dean, Director of Nursing at Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee, why she loves working for our organization — and what impact comes from having women in leadership roles. She agreed with what Director of Quality Initiatives Sandra Knoble said in Part I of this series: “What matters is our organization’s ability to be progressive and emphasize being gender-neutral and move beyond traditional barriers. The bottom line is, if you want to give appropriate healthcare to everyone, you have to give it equally to everyone without prejudice,” Dean said.
As a nurse, Dean is at the front lines of providing care to our residents. She sees how our Mission influences everything we do, each day: “The Mission of the organization and of our community is to provide the best care possible, which involves the best ethics of how to deliver and what to deliver as far as care for those we serve. That’s what was most important to me,” Dean said.
Dean said that she believes there’s a lot of opportunity for team members to make an impact, especially in nursing. “My best advice is: Develop your people skills and your team-building skills, and strive to be ego-free. You have to want for the greater good, you have to be honest at all times, and you have to be passionate. Serve with heart and a smile! That’s the key to success.”
There are many opportunities at Westminster Communities of Florida for our team members to grow and to succeed. Find the opportunity that suits you today — visit our jobs page on LinkedIn to learn more!
