Our Shared Calling: Meet Paige Lievendag

Paige (Harrold) Lievendag, RN, exemplifies the four pillars which are the foundation of Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN)'s nursing culture – Teamwork and Compassion, Nurse-Led Innovation and Transformation, Support and Communication, and Professional Development and Career Advancement.

Lievendag is a charge nurse on the pediatrics unit at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. Lievendag chose Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) for her nursing career five years ago because of the opportunities to grow with the health network. In nursing school, most of her clinicals took place at LVHN, and she completed a nurse externship in the neonatal intensive care unit, which solidified her decision to work at the hospital.

For Anna Folk, MSN, RN, Director of Clinical Services for the pediatrics unit, Lievendag is a perfect representation of what it means to be an LVHN nurse.

“The first word that comes to mind when I think of the nursing culture is empowered,” Folk says. “Nurses are empowered to make a difference in the health network, for patients and for their colleagues, and Paige is a clear example of doing just that.”

Lievendag provides the best care and helps ensure the best outcomes for her patients.

“She is very professional in her interactions with colleagues and is inclusive of others. She takes advantage of the open-door policy nursing leadership has on the unit because she wants to have open communication with us,” Folk says. “She is not afraid to present an idea for improvement and exemplifies the notion ‘be part of the solution, not the problem.’”

As a charge nurse, Lievendag needs to have the capacity to manage staffing on the unit and assign beds to patients in a timely manner.

“As you can imagine, the unit is often very busy. At any time, you can find Paige setting up rooms, completing admissions and/or discharges for other nurses, and so much more when she is in charge,” Folk says. “She demonstrates what teamwork is, and others follow her example.”

When it comes to teamwork, Lievendag believes all nurses serve as resources for each other.

“Truly outstanding nurses are resources for their colleagues and always make everyone feel supported,” Lievendag says. “No matter how seasoned a nurse, being at the bedside each day provides the forum to learn something new every day.”

Lievendag believes LVHN provides a great environment for new graduate nurses starting their career.

“LVHN consistently provides a variety of options to help you evaluate where you want to start your career,” Lievendag says. “You feel welcome as part of the team, which is so important, as being a new graduate nurse can feel very intimidating."

She also credits LVHN’s Nurse Residency Program with connecting her with other graduate nurses.

“We helped each other through one of the most challenging years of our careers,” she says.

The evidence-based project Lievendag completed as part of the Nurse Residency Program gave her the opportunity to present at a national pediatric conference in California. So far, it has been the best experience in her career, and she is grateful for the opportunity.

“LVHN consistently provides me with opportunities to advance my career,” Lievendag says. “The leadership team consistently pushed me to take steps in my career that I may not do on my own.”

For Lievendag, there are so many characteristics that exemplify an outstanding nurse. The most important is compassion – toward her patients and their families.

During a busy shift, communication is critical, and because no two days in nursing are the same, adaptability is a hallmark of the nursing profession.

“Communication and time management are key for nursing,” Lievendag says. “So much needs to be done and communicated between the interdisciplinary team, patient, family and colleagues,” she says. “The ability to maintain a positive attitude while being flexible and able to adapt to anything that happens during a shift is what makes a great nurse.”

Folk supports nursing recognition for nurses who call LVHN home.

“Nursing is such an influential profession because it takes heart, time, commitment and emotional intelligence to do well as a nurse,” she says. “For the most part, nurses do not seek out attention for a job well done because they just want to improve a patient’s well-being. It is important for a nurse to know the positive impact they have on people does not go unseen, and the impact creates a positive ripple effect in a person’s life.” 

As for Lievendag, she is truly honored to receive recognition from Folk. “It means a lot, as she has helped me grow and develop into the nurse I am today. I wouldn’t be where I am today in my career without her.”