Kelley Hamby
Baptist Health
System Chief Nursing Officer
DAY AT WORK
A typical workday usually starts with meetings with different team members from various departments and these continue throughout the day. I’m also responding to urgent matters, priorities or solutions to issues. In addition, I work on various projects that require research, collaboration and project management tools. In the evening, I review the day’s progress on critical tasks that need attention.
BEGINNING INTERESTS
I had the opportunity to spend three summers as a candy striper at Arkansas Children’s Hospital during my teenage years. As a result, my time spent in the hospital proved to make a lasting impact and I knew I was ‘called’ to healthcare and nursing would be my career path.
CAREER EVOLUTION
I began my career at Baptist Health as an information associate with the goal of attending nursing school to become a registered nurse. Baptist Health has afforded me the ability to achieve my dream of becoming a nurse and to practice my profession every day.
ADVICE
It’s not enough to be an expert – you need to have the ability to communicate effectively, to work as part of a team, and collaborate to deliver results. Stay curious about your specialty – analyze your work, have an awareness of what is going on in the world around you and keep up-to-date with trends and research that are emerging in your field.