Desire To Help Others Draws Nurse Into Health Care

For as long as she can remember, Brenda Nickens knew she wanted to one day work in the medical field. Figuring out exactly what her niche would be within that world took some time, and plenty of sleepless nights, but she eventually settled into a career as a nurse, and in June, she joined the team at NYU Langone Medical Associates in Riverhead, where she now serves as the nurse manager at the large, multi-specialty care center located at 889 East Main Street.

Working as nurse manager at the facility requires a lot of energy and a fair amount of multi-tasking, as well as expertise in a wide range of areas, at a location where anywhere from 150 to 200 appointments are scheduled daily. The center encompasses 11 specialties with 22 providers, while also offering phlebotomy, x-ray and ultrasound services.

It’s clear just a few minutes into a conversation with Nickens that she’s the right woman for the job. Her bubbly, upbeat personality and dedication to her work comes through clearly, and she harnessed that from the start of her work there, building a new team of nurses as the location expanded to include gastroenterology and rheumatology divisions recently.

Nickens helped secure certification for office-based surgery to conduct GI procedures in the state-of-the-art facility, and also helped the rheumatology department begin to offer infusions, enabling patients to get treatments at the same location where they schedule doctor visits.

Nickens was born and raised in Queens, the youngest of six children and describes herself as someone who was “always there for my family.” She was driven by a desire to help people when she decided to pursue a career in medicine, and her first foray into the field was working as an EMT in New York City, before she went back to school to become certified as a surgical technician and operating room nurse.

She said even after gaining that experience, she “still wanted more,” and eventually went back to school, earning her associates degree at a community college before finishing her bachelors degree, and ultimately earning her masters in nursing, all while continuing to work.

“I had those late nights, going over a paper and before you know it, you see the sun coming up,” she said with a laugh. “I needed to work and have a full-time job, but nothing was going to stop me from pursuing my degree.”

During that time, Nickens worked as a surgical tech at LaGuardia Hospital in Queens (now known as Forest Hill Hospital), taking classes in the early morning, heading into work from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and taking more classes at night. She eventually went to work in the OR department at St. Francis Hospital, where she stayed for 15 years, before taking a leave and then returning to work on the management side of the nursing profession. She made her way to NYU’s Riverhead location in June.

Managing a large team of nurses at a location with many different providers and specialties can be challenging, but Nickens said she tries to stay true to a specific leadership style.

“I think it’s important for a nurse manager to be fair,” she said, adding that she thinks of herself as a “servant leader,” and wants everyone engaged in what’s going on.

“A lot of the staff came in at the same time I did, and we were in on the ground floor of what’s happening here,” she said. “So we would have conversations about where we wanted to put this station, how things should go. I created a team and I listened to them. Encouraging diversity of thought is very important, and so is creating a culture of trust. If they don’t trust you, they won’t do much for you.

“I try to have an unselfish mindset,” she added. “I’m not always right, so I want people to tell me what I can do better.”

A typical day for Nickens begins with a team meeting, where they go over any potential challenges and how they can circumvent them, she said. She stays in contact throughout the day with other managers in the practice, and does rounds throughout the facility to stay on top of what’s going on.

“I’m constantly rounding, getting immediate feedback from staff, providers and physicians, and checking in on the patient experience, asking how was your visit,” Nickens said. “I’m also big on making sure my staff is well so they can take care of patients. If you don’t have someone well, the whole mind, body and spirit, how they can make other people well?”

Jeanette Brown worked as a nurse for 40 years, and during that time developed a friendship with Nickens. They worked together at St. Francis Hospital, where Brown was director of perioperative services.

Nickens lists Brown as her mentor, saying that she instilled in her “the importance of building a team and then being that team’s biggest cheerleader.”

Brown still has her nursing license although she does not work in the field any more, but she has remained a friend and cheerleader of Nickens.

“I recognized right away that she was special and I wanted to support her and give her the tools to make working as a nursing leader the best experience,” Brown said. “I counseled her to find the resources to return to school for her bachelor’s degree and later she informed me she was working toward completion of her master’s degree. It’s not easy working full time and taking care of things at home, but she wanted it for herself.

“It was rewarding to watch her move into roles with more responsibility,” Brown added. “She reads people so well and works very hard to meet their needs and have them do the best they can at their job. She puts the needs of people first, knowing that prosperity will follow.

Everyone needs someone who truly cares about you and I saw a drive in Brenda that would lead to good things,” she continued. “I am proud of her as a nurse, but more importantly as a good person.”