Out of nurses across 27 hospitals, NYU Winthrop Hospital’s Lila Hagemen-Sheehan was chosen for the Nurse of Excellence 2018 award by the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council.
Hagemen-Sheehan said she was shocked, humbled and flattered when she found out she won.
“I really thought there were just a lot of people out there nominated and they just did so much,” Hageman-Sheehan said. “I really didn’t think I was going to win.”
Hageman-Sheehan is the nurse manager of the emergency department at NYU Winthrop, a position she’s held for five years.
Hageman-Sheehan’s tenure at NYU Winthrop dates back before her time as nurse manager, starting in 1999.
The Lakegrove resident, who spend most of her life in Merrick before a recent move, has been a nurse since 1981.
She initially sought out nursing following in her mother’s footsteps, she said.
Two of her own four children have done the same, with one working also working as a nurse at NYU Winthrop and one in nursing school, Hageman-Sheehan said.
Hageman-Sheehan said there’s no typical day in the emergency department.
On average, the department sees about 220 patients a day, Hageman-Sheehan said.
“We see everything from your splinter to horrible things like cardiac arrests and strokes,” Hageman-Sheehan said.
Since taking over as manager, Hageman-Sheehan said she plays a less hands-on role on the floor, but said she enjoys mentoring younger nurses and managing a great staff.
“My goal as manager was to create an environment where nurses love what they did every day,” Hageman-Sheehan said.
She added that she wanted her staff to enjoy their jobs and have the tools and education they need to succeed.
According to other members of the nursing staff, she’s done just that.
“Lila Hageman-Sheehan represents all that a nurse should be, passionate, caring and competent, and she is a leader who fosters safer communities,” Valerie Terzano, chief nursing officer, said in an NYU Winthrop release. “Lila has long been a catalyst for change, working to improve the health care of Long Island residents, and we could not be prouder of her at this moment, receiving this coveted award.”
Hageman-Sheehan is also involved in several outreach initiatives.
She’s taken a lead role in developing the Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner program for NYU Winthrop, collaborating with the Nassau County District Attorney’s office, the Nassau County Police Department and others, to provide compassionate care to victims of sexual assault, according to the release.
She also participates in the Medical Reserve Corp of Nassau County, and participates in an annual Nassau County Special Olympics program, according to the release.
Hageman-Sheehan’s outreach goes beyond her Long Island community.
In the wake of the Las Vegas mass shootings in October 2017, she coordinated a collection to buy lunch for the staff at the emergency department’s of two hospitals in Las Vegas treating victims of the shooting.
“You’re always hungry and never get a chance to eat when you’re a nurse,” Hageman-Sheehan said.
She added that she wanted to let her “brothers and sisters in nursing know we’re thinking about them.”
Hageman-Sheehan said that NYU Winthrop “empowers their nurses to make change and make a difference.”
“We have great support from our leaders,” she said. “They’re always visible and there for us.”
