Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
My name is Matthew Rivera and I am a Registered Nurse. My home unit currently resides in the float pool at West Campus. I have been with Texas Children’s Hospital for eight years.
Tell us how you found out you won the Best of the West award.
I was invited to DOB by my leadership team. Once all of the business of the meeting was completed Matt Timmons read aloud a nomination letter that was very profound, in regards to an employee that was to be recognized. To my surprise the person that he was reading about was me. I felt very privileged that someone would take the time out to recognize me.
What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do? How has the organization helped you achieve your personal and professional goals?
It is an honor and a privilege to be recognized by West Campus. This organization has given me opportunities as well as resources to be flexible and to gain skills to provide great bedside care. Let me explain: I have been at West Campus for eight years. During that time both West Campus and I have grown. When we decided to take chemo patients, I was given the opportunity to learn more about hematology patients. As the West Campus expanded its capacity to open the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), I was given the opportunity to train at Medical Center Campus to become a PICU nurse. When I showed interest in learning how to take care of patients on CRRT, Medical Center PICU allowed me the opportunity to learn and take care of these patients. These are just a few of the examples of the growth that I have been afforded being an employee of Texas Children’s. My goal has been to be the best nurse that I can be, and Texas Children’s has done that for me.
What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s The Best of the West?
For me it starts with a great attitude. There is a poem by Charles Swindoll that I learned growing up. This poem has shaped most of the ways that I approach work as well as life in general. It has always stuck with me that explains the importance of attitude.
Attitude
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.
By Charles R. Swindoll
What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
My patients and knowing that I work for a great organization. I have worked a few places and for me Texas Children’s gives us a lot of resources to be able to properly take care of our patients, and I take great pride in that.
What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
The amount of resources and opportunities that comes with working for one of the best hospitals in the country. Learning from those resources means that you are on the cutting edge of medicine as well as providing some of the best care in the country. Also with Texas Children’s growing at such a fast pace the opportunities to grow are staggering.
What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
I think that it is great that everyone is considered a leader. To me it means that no matter your title it gives you the freedom to lead, where it is appropriate. My leadership definition is to start with a great attitude as well as a strong work ethic. From there I would say to model the way and lead by example.
Anything else you want to share?
It has been a great honor for me to be nominated for the Best of the West.