To be an excellent nurse is one thing; to be a great leader is another. A leader is an individual who exemplifies leadership, integrity, compassion and respect for staff and residents alike. No one embodies these characteristics like our Director of Nursing, Rebecca Luce. When asked to oversee the nursing department at Shaker Place Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, she did so with total commitment and a fearlessness that was admired by our whole staff. Rebecca has worked to unify the nursing department with her openness, good humor, and attentive action towards the concerns of her team members. Once Rebecca took on this leadership role, it was no surprise that employee retention improved. There is a profound sense of confidence in leadership in Rebecca’s department; she possesses a strong moral compass and gives every member of her staff a fair hearing.
Immediately after stepping into the position as Director of Nursing, into a department that already was experiencing adversity, Rebecca faced what may ultimately be one of the biggest challenges of her career: COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, Rebecca has handled every challenge and procedure change with great integrity and grace. She has worked tirelessly to keep our residents and staff safe while dealing with daily changes in directives from New York State. With limited staff, Rebecca worked countless additional shifts and never once complained about this challenge that kept her away from her own family. She has communicated with staff every single day to assure no question has gone unanswered. She holds her staff accountable to her high standards of care and ethical behavior. She offers constructive feedback for her team, but also makes sure to highlight their accomplishments. She remains available and approachable to our staff and residents as we all try to navigate this unprecedented time.
Rebecca’s work ethic is unmatched. During the pandemic, she helped initiate in-house protocols to keep the residents and staff safe, communicated with outside agencies to ensure our staff had all the necessary PPE, and came in early and worked late to complete staff and resident COVID-19 testing. She has organized countless phone calls and window visits with residents’ families to keep them updated on their loved ones and keep lines of communication open. Whatever our residents need, Rebecca is there to offer a helping hand or an attentive ear.
Rebecca’s commitment to top quality resident care goes above and beyond her job responsibilities. She creates lasting bonds with families and residents and treats all residents as her own family. She encourages independence but is always there to help with a positive attitude. For all these reasons and more, she is greatly admired by our staff, residents, and families.
Rebecca is an amazing nurse, leader, and advocate for everyone at Shaker Place. She works hard to create a collaborative, educational and healing environment for co-workers, residents, family members and volunteers. You will not meet anyone more committed than Rebecca and we are grateful to have her on the amazing staff at Shaker Place Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.