Gina Glass, RN

Mental Health Rehabilitation Center

San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center

Gina is a graduate of Beacon's Compass Series

As the unit RN at the Mental Health Rehabilitation Center at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Gina is responsible for oversight and coordination of care as well as the day-to-day activities of direct patient care. Gina said, "I use my quality improvement mindset regularly to identify opportunities for improvement, ask questions, and to get others involved in improving patient care and safety."

Why did you choose a nursing career?

As a young child, I dreamed of becoming a nurse. I felt my calling was to help people. While completing high school I worked as a live-in attendant for a young man with progressed M.S. We became good friends and he taught me the human side of being a patient. Our friendship motivated me to pursue my dream.

What excites you about quality-related work?
I get really excited about improving systems. I strongly believe that most employees want to do the best they can for their clients. By improving systems, networking and discovering new ways to improve safety, we can drastically change outcomes. When I think about making improvements I remember my grandmother who died of Alzheimer's. My grandfather cared for her in the family home for over 5 years. When he had a hernia operation he placed her in a nursing home for a week. She went from walking around freely at home to being tied in a wheel chair when we visited because it seemed to be more "convenient" for the nursing staff. To them maybe she was just an old confused lady, to me, she was my grandmother. That's what I remind myself of when caring for our clients. I tell myself, "This is somebody's sister, mother, father, brother, grandmother, etc." They would want their family member to get the best care just like I do mine.

Who inspires you?

Elaine Dekker, Infection Control RN for SFGH. She inspires me because she is able to inspire others to change without making them feel threatened. She does this by first meeting with them and asking them to describe the process. She has a way of letting the person, who may have been resistant to making a change, identify the problem themselves and offer their ideas for solutions. She has only been working at SFGH a short period of time but has already been involved in many successful improvements. Instead of using the dreaded word "change" or "quality improvement project" she suggests "tweaking" the process a little bit. By watching her work, I have learned the way the message is delivered is even more important than the content of the message.

Did you have a mentor?

My parents. They instilled the importance of an education in me from a very young age, and always believed in and encouraged me in my studies.

What Beacon activities have you participated in?

I have participated in multiple Beacon activities, in fact, so many that I can't name them all. I also was a guest speaker at the Beacon Quarterly Conference where I discussed our hospitals medication reconciliation system. My experience with Beacon has taught me the value of borrowing ideas from others. The opportunity to collaborate with peers is amazing.

How has Beacon Collaborative influenced your work?

The Beacon Collaborative has re-ignited my desire for continuing education and taught me how to communicate my quality improvement ideas and goals clearly and concisely. Since becoming actively involved in Beacon I re-enrolled in night classes, and am now one class away from completing a certificate program in Business Management.

One wish to change the healthcare system?

My wish would be for everyone to have access to healthcare and to have improvements in mental health services for those unable to advocate for themselves.

Favorite Quote?

Mahatma Gandhi: You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

You can contact Gina at:   regina.glass@sfdph.org

Download the September 2009 Navigator Newsletter