The first things you notice about Isaiah Rivers, MSN, MBA, RN are his enthusiasm and his passion for his work. He greets you warmly, and you can’t help but be drawn into his energy. It’s an approach that he brings to his role as Nurse Manager on G70, the Solid Tumor Oncology floor at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus.  

“On this floor, we try to highlight the positive and create a team culture,” he says. “At the same time, we want work to be a part of your life, not your whole life.” 

Career path started in high school 

Isaiah began pursuing nursing as a career in his senior year in high school, when he obtained his licensed practical nurse degree. He then worked at a skilled nursing facility for three years while earning his associate degree at Kent State. 

His Cleveland Clinic nursing career began in the Euclid Hospital Emergency Department. “I loved it there,” he says. “It was a young team, and we just learned together.” 

Isaiah went on to get his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and his master’s degree in nursing and his MBA from Western Governors University, and then transitioned to his Nurse Manager role on G70. 

An environment of encouragement  

The G70 floor focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of malignancies and hematologic diseases, from new diagnosis to the end of life. Patients range in age from their 20s to their 90s, with a length of stay that can go from just a few hours to more than 30 days. 

Collaboration and positivity are the hallmarks of the G70 floor, Isaiah says. There are huddles every day at 7 a.m. with both shifts, as a way of starting and ending the shifts with an optimistic mindset. 

Teamwork is a key element, and Isaiah points out that no one is afraid to get involved. “Everyone comes when you need that extra set of hands,” he says. “Once we know something is happening on the floor, there is instant support. That goes for asking questions, too. No one makes you feel bad about asking questions.” 

Isaiah’s leadership style is focused on participation and communication. “I want to lead from in front, rather than from behind,” he says. “I try to make sure that when there is an emergency or something going on, that I am present and that I’m able to help make decisions.” 

He also makes a point of meeting with nurses individually. “I sit down and talk one-on-one with them, and I let them know that my main goal is their success,” he says. “I know a lot of them won’t be here on this floor forever, but if I can give them the tools they need to be successful in the future, that is my No. 1 goal for everybody.” 

A foundation for a successful nursing career 

Isaiah feels that new nurses are an especially good fit on G70. “This unit is perfect for new grads,” he says. “Nurses gain emotional growth as they gain experience, and that builds confidence. We can give them the tools they need for the Cleveland Clinic way of doing things, so that they’re getting started on the best foot. And the nurses who have been here for 15, 20 years also play a big role in teaching our new grads.” 

The unit also offers nurses the opportunity to become “chemo-competent” within six months of starting. This ability to become an expert at administering chemotherapy and understanding chemotherapy reactions is not always available to nurses at other hospitals.  

Isaiah lists four additional attractions for nurses to join Cleveland Clinic: resources, opportunity, education and growth. “I think those are the things that Cleveland Clinic has to offer that a lot of other places just don’t have. Here, there’s someone you can call for every problem. You always have a resource.” 

Cleveland Clinic’s tuition reimbursement program is a perfect example. “I used our tuition imbursement every year that I went back to school for every degree,” Isaiah says. 

“And there’s always room for upward mobility. I think that if you really want to learn, grow and develop, Cleveland Clinic is the answer.”