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Updated: December 9, 2019 / 2019 Health Care Heroes Honorees

Scirpo makes a difference for staff, patients and her children

By Karen Ali

 

Category: Nurse

Shawnna Scirpo, Emergency Department Nursing Director, The Hospital of Central Connecticut

Even though Shawnna Scirpo is an administrator in a busy emergency department at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, she’s known for being very hands-on with patients.

“I believe I am a nurse’s nurse, and I do my best to lead by example, never asking anyone to do something I would not do myself,” said Scirpo, who as nursing director oversees the emergency department at the hospital’s New Britain and Southington campuses. “My best day is wearing scrubs and helping my staff on the floor take care of the patients we serve.”

“Everything I do, I’m looking at it from the patient’s perspective,” she said.

She’s also attuned to the needs of her staff, and when she recognized that nurses were struggling emotionally with the death of a particular patient, she came to work in the middle of the night to support them. She brought in a social worker to help, too.

Medical staff members are always moving on to the next patient. But they are human and need help at times.

“This gave them a chance to talk out their feelings,” she said.

She says that she’s lucky to have a great team behind her.

“I care deeply for the patients we serve and my team, and could not do what I do without their dedication and support. It is gratifying to do what you love with a team that you love. I also live in the community I serve,” said Scirpo, of New Britain. “I want my community to realize I’m there for them.”

Scirpo is also busy outside work, completing her MBA, fostering a critically ill NICU baby, and is a mom to 11 children —   six biological, four of whom are adopted and one who is a foster child.

Scirpo has worked at the Hospital of Central Connecticut since 1991, when she started as medical-surgical registered nurse. She quickly discovered that the critical care aspect of nursing was her passion.

“I worked both in the [emergency department] and multiple ICUs during my career,” she said. “I was approached to take a manager position 15 years ago, which I initially declined, but my husband encouraged me to consider, stating he thought I would be great.”

She said that the manager position has allowed her to do what she loves, but has also given her the opportunity to grow as a leader. Some of the ways she’s been able to lead include coaching and mentoring other leaders in the organization and working on initiatives to improve the patient experience.

For example, she developed an emergency department brochure for patients, helping them understand what to expect in terms of care, delays and other matters.

She also helped implement the CRL (clinical resource leader) role, working on ways to improve front-line leadership. Another achievement has been partnering with EMS to have a collaborative relationship.

While she’s had a number of nursing accomplishments, Scirpo said her most significant impact has been becoming a foster parent, which she did in 2010.

She and her husband have adopted four children, including a special-needs infant recently diagnosed with cerebral palsy. They are also fostering a daughter who they hope to adopt, and have fostered other children that they’ve transitioned to homes.

“I continuously fight to make sure my kids are treated fair, making sure their needs are first and foremost,” she said. “We also have reunified a daughter to her biological mom and transitioned a son and daughter to their forever home.”

Karen Fasano, vice president of patient care services at The Hospital of Central Connecticut and MidState Medical Center, described Scirpo as an extraordinary nurse and colleague.

“She is the type of nurse I would want caring for my own loved ones if they needed emergency services — compassionate, intelligent, genuine and thorough. She is known for listening closely, holding a hand, and acting as an advocate for her patients with the deepest needs.”

Fasano said Scirpo is a trusted and respected leader at the hospital.

“Shawnna is not just a hero, but a true inspiration, and I am privileged to call her a coworker and friend,” Fasano said.

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