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40 Fast and Future Leaders of Surgical Services – Zoila A. Muinos

January 23, 2020

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40 Fast and Future Leaders of Surgical Services – Zoila A. Muinos

I know its time to go home when It is difficult to Go home at times because if it were up to me I’d wait for all discharge to occur and all cases to finalize. However, this is unreasonable. I work in a level one trauma hospital and there is no real end to our surgical day. I’ve been fortunate to work with great leaders throughout the years and trust that they do optimal clinical decisions even when I’m not around. Elements that put me at ease to go home are: staffing meets demand, staff has all needed support, patients and families are being taken care of and quality patient care.

Sometimes it’s not what you know, its It’s how you develop your leaders. For me supporting the decision making of leaders is crucial in our hospitals of tomorrow. Leadership development is equally as important compared to what we “know”.

One little thing I pay attention to is Grit! Success stories are great but Grit…. now that’s impressive! Watching new staff on board and leaders grow through their own experiences, one can’t help but to admire grit.

Best advice I ever received Always remember your stakeholders. As leaders, our decision making can impact staff at all levels. Do gemba walks never forget one should be where the work is. Most importantly every experience provides a pearl of wisdom, all you have to do is open your eyes.

My mentors are I have been very blessed to have mentions that were my #1 cheerleaders. I wouldn’t be here today without: Jackie González, Carolyn Domina, E. Tom Schubnell and Greg Martin. I think of them every day and always try to pay it forward. Their leadership, guidance, and support is something I will never forget. I will be eternally grateful for all the opportunities they have provided me.

I am here for As a nurse I have always been here for our patients & families. As I transitioned into leadership I knew that I now supported staff and surgeons as well. As an immigrant/mother, my goal is to be here to serve as an example that anything is possible through hard work.

The future of surgical services is Wow! This is a great question! I see the future of surgical services having more robotics and a continuous drive to outpatient ASC setting. Inpatient volume will continue to decrease due to technology and decreased invasiveness of procedures.

The dumbest thing I ever did I wouldn’t say I’ve done dumb things but I’ve definitely done my share of mistakes. However, I don’t regret them because the outcome was always important lessons.

The smartest thing I ever did Although Nursing was my second profession it was definitely the smartest thing I ever did!

If I hadn’t been a Director of Surgical Services, I would have become a My first profession was an elementary music teacher and high school music instructor. Had I not become a nurse I would have probably been teaching classical music at the university level. With that said, I love surgery! My home is Surgical Services and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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