When Katie Galvan, Nurse Manager at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital’s 5 Pavilion, (a med/surg unit), received her aptitude test results in seventh grade, they left no room for doubt: “We see nursing scrubs in your future!” She thought that was spot-on because she had always wanted to be a nurse. But she admits, “All I knew about nurses was that they gave people pills.” 

Katie eventually set out to pursue a nursing degree at John Carroll University, but the major wasn’t offered yet. Instead, she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and spent six years working at a psychiatric hospital. “But when I was working in the hospital, I saw what the nurses were doing and thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s what I want to do,” she says. 

So, Katie decided to return to what she loved and earned her associate degree in nursing from Cuyahoga Community College in 2008. Soon after, she joined Cleveland Clinic and eventually got her BSN from Ohio University.  

“The Clinic paid for a lot of degrees for me – and a lot of certifications. I’ve taken advantage of a lot of that, which I very much appreciate.” 

The Obvious Choice 

After doing her clinicals at various healthcare organizations, Katie’s choice was clear. “Cleveland Clinic stood out the best by far for the clinical rotations that I did and its reputation for being all that it is – the best place to receive care and the best place to give care. I just wanted to be part of something that big that’s in my own backyard.” 

Providing Nurses with What They Need 

Katie and her team collaborate with hospitalists on their unit. (A hospitalist steps in for a Main Campus physician who might not visit area facilities, for example). “We love working with them,” Katie says. “We get to see a little bit of everything in medical/surgical, which is nice.” 

And when it comes to managing her team, Katie sees her role as handling things in the background so that the “important people” can do the important work. “I make sure that the nurses and all of the people who are taking care of and touching patients have the tools and information they need to do their job. I try to get everything else out of the way so that’s what they can focus on.” 

Her strategy proved to be a success, as her unit was honored with the 2015 Nursing Team Excellence Award and the 2017 Safety Champion Award. Regarding the Team Excellence Award, Katie says, “We were nominated for our quality and safety scores, our employee engagement, the teamwork that we have on the unit, and some of the great outcomes that we have. That was a really big win. I think it speaks a lot about our culture.”  

Life-Altering Benefits 

While Katie relied on Cleveland Clinic benefits to help pay for her education, another benefit in particular changed the dynamic of her family. Now a mother of two girls, Katie says, “I could be your spokesperson for the fertility benefits at Cleveland Clinic. We had a lot of struggles with having our children. We were paying completely out-of-pocket when doing IVF with my oldest daughter – it was probably around $30,000. When we went to try again and have another daughter, Cleveland Clinic provided fertility coverage. The gift that was given to us right there – we could never repay the Clinic for that.” 

A Culture of Closeness and Caring 

When asked which Cleveland Clinic values her team embodies the most, two instantly came to mind. “Teamwork is just something that we see every day. Empathy, too,” she says. “I walked by a room a couple of days ago and saw a very confused patient with dementia. She was sitting on the bed and was very angry and had even punched people. But this nurse was sitting there next to her on her level with her hand on her shoulder, just trying to talk with her. I think you see that a lot here, where nurses show their empathy.”  

What Matters Most to Candidates 

For candidates considering joining Cleveland Clinic, Katie recommends that they look at everything the organization offers. “We have the best quality and safety and the best employee engagement. We’re doing innovative things here. There are great benefit packages, the wonderful new grad residency program, and positive patient outcomes. We have high standards and want to hire the right people. If people are serious about wanting to deliver great care and make a difference, I think this is where they should be.”