CNO Corner: A Conversation with Tiffany Powell, Chief Nursing Officer at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills

Tiffany Powell, MSN, RN, NE-BC, and chief nursing officer (CNO) at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills (LIJFH), has experienced career growth and endless opportunities over nearly two decades at Northwell Health.

It all began in 2004 when Tiffany started at Northwell Health as a nurse extern. Passionate about learning, Tiffany sought every opportunity to gain experiences and grow her career. After completing the externship and achieving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Tiffany jumped at the chance to be part of the health system’s first-ever critical care fellowship in 2005.

During the next several years, Tiffany continued to gain experience working as a staff RN in telemetry and in a medical intensive care units (MICU). By 2014, she had transitioned to a leadership role as an assistant nurse manager, and was then promoted to nurse manager of a medical surgical unit in 2016. Her desire for exposure to more nursing specialties then brought her to North Shore University Hospital where she worked as a nurse manager on a palliative care unit and with a renal and liver transplant team.

All of her passion and experience took her career journey to Long Island Jewish Forest Hills (LIJFH) in 2019, as director of patient services responsible for the critical care, telemetry, and dialysis units and interventional radiology nursing practice. Now as chief nursing officer at LIJFH, Tiffany is looking to encourage and support others who strive for career growth and new opportunities.

Read our conversation with Tiffany below to learn what key advice she has for all nurses looking to develop their careers.

What attracted you to Northwell Health initially and is it still true today?

At the time I was looking for my first nursing job, I was offered two great positions at different healthcare providers and I chose Northwell Health. What attracted me to Northwell the most is their commitment to innovation.

I love working here, because at Northwell, your voice is heard and respected at all levels. Team members actively participate in the changes that take place in our organization, and they work in an environment that is exciting, never stagnant.

As a nursing executive, what would you say are the most important qualities a leader should have in order to positively engage their team in delivering exceptional patient care?

Throughout my career, I have always felt that the two most important qualities of any leader are authenticity and relatability. Strong, effective communication is also key but authentic leaders will naturally appeal to those around them, and develop a followership built on trust and respect. The foundation of a strong leader is their ability to build interpersonal connections with people, and to resonate with others you must be relatable.

We understand that you are passionate about encouraging personal well-being in the workplace. Can you share a few examples of how personal well-being is supported for team members at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital?

My team will tell you that my mantra is, “we must take care of ourselves before we can take care of our staff and patients.” I truly emulate this in all that I do because personal well-being is so important, and in the workplace, it starts at the top. At LIJFH, we have exercise classes in our memorial garden, and a meditation room where staff can go to relax. Sometimes it just takes small measures that result in big impacts. I have committed to starting all my nursing leadership meetings with a one-minute meditation for all the nurse leaders here and I have challenged my nurse managers to use this approach with their staff at their daily huddles and staff meetings.

What advice do you have for nurses who are looking to grow in their careers?

I recently heard someone ask, “What would the world be like if we were always working on ourselves or thinking of how we can help others.” For all nurses, my advice is simple, reflect after every day. What did I do well? What could I have done better? Always remember what motivates you, and act with humility. It is such a gift to be able to care for patients in their most vulnerable times.

For those looking to grow, networking is key. Meet new people and build relationships. Never burn any bridge. Get involved in hospital/organizational activities. Never stop being curious. Instead, always try to learn something new every day. And one especially helpful piece of advice that always works for me: once per year, set a professional goal that you can accomplish and when you do, it’s a feel-good moment, so celebrate it!

What would you say makes nursing at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital unique?

We are resilient, agile, and diverse. Our sense of community allows us to really get to know each other.

There is lots of positive energy pumping through the halls of LIJFH. Having achieved the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Pathway to Excellence designation in 2021, we are now beginning our Magnet Journey.

Among our goals is our continued focus on shaping our shared governance model and promoting professional development for our nurses. And we are incredibly excited about the roll out of new technology at our facility such as the myNora system pilot – a technology to assist with the efficiency of Interdisciplinary Rounds (IDR) – as well as telemetry monitors and zebra devices (healthcare mobile computers). All initiatives meant to inspire learning and growth.

If you’re inspired by Tiffany’s incredible career, explore nursing careers with many avenues to grow your skills at Northwell Health.