Mary Jo Schreiber, RN, MSN

email Mary Jo Schreiber

Vice-President, Patient Services (2001 - current)
Nurse at Winter Haven Hospital since October, 1979

Previous Positions At WHH

Administrative Director Research and Professional Practice (1 year)
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Critical Care (22 years)

A Note About Our Leader

A number of unique factors in Mary Jo's relationship with Winter Haven Hospital have contributed directly to her success as CNO-and the exceptional level of influence in organizational decisions as well as in strategic planning that she possesses. Some of these factors include:

• Her 25+ year tenure at Winter Haven Hospital
  • She is an "insider", knowledgeable about every aspect of the organization-its culture, its politics, its intricacies; there was no "learning curve", no time required to identify and understand these factors, and thus, no critical "rookie" mistakes made
  • She is known-her work ethic, her abilities, her level of commitment to staff and to the organization; thus, she is trusted
• Her previous role as a Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • She possesses exceptional clinical skills and superior knowledge
  • She is proven-she has been tried and tested, over and over in the clinical area, by staff, by physician and by patient; thus, she is overwhelmingly respected
  • Because of her extensive and current clinical expertise, she has an unusual level of understanding about clinical issues-and issues of the bedside nurse-not present in previous senior nursing leadership
  • Mary Jo has always been known as "what I want to be when I grow up" by nurses internally and externally
• Her pragmatic, what-you-see-is-what-you-get approach
  • She is intense, yet humorous; she is focused, yet caring; she is serious, yet tender; she is whatever the situation calls for-and she is real
  • She is most comfortable-and the happiest-when in the clinical setting, interacting with staff and patients, or teaching an ACLS-prep course
  • There is no "air", intimidation or pretentiousness; she is approachable and available to anyone in the building

These factors made Mary Jo the understandable choice by staff and management, to assume the CNO position in 2001. The organization had suffered a devastating blow to nurse staffing (>30% vacancy) and nurse management (70% vacancy). Morale was at an all-time low and employees were scared, skeptical and guarded. Mary Jo accepted the challenge and not only saved the sinking organization-but turned their direction to one of certainty and significance. She rebuilt the staff-both in numbers and in trust. She recruited back proven managers and hired others from the outside. Little by little, she convinced the Executive Team, the management team, and the staff that Winter Haven Hospital could not only recover, but could surpass their best expectations. It was through Mary Jo's introduction of the ANCC's Magnet Designation that the organization embraced this as the vehicle to guide Winter Haven Hospital to an organizational culture of excellence. A culture that exists today.

What Our Staff Say About Mary Jo

"Mary Jo is truly passionate about Nursing. She is kind, compassionate & very easy to talk to. Above all else she really cares about the staff & patients. She is very involved in all aspects of nursing care, she can be seen on the floor almost daily; and that's rare for an administrator!

- Hollie, CVICU

"Mary Jo is an inspiration as a nurse administrator. Her enthusiasm toward the nursing profession is worth catching. We especially appreciate her commitment and professionalism toward nursing and the hospital."

- Susy, CVICU

"Mary Jo is who I want to be when I grow up!"

- Lisa, Cardiac Rehab

Education

Winona State University
B.S.N.
Winona, Minnesota

University of Alabama
M.S.N. in Cardiovascular Nursing
Birmingham, Alabama

University of Florida
Doctoral Student in Nursing
Gainesville, Florida
Completed doctoral core courses and a minor in Measurement

Military

U.S. Army Hospitals, San Antonia, TX and Da Nang, Vietnam

Certifications

• AACN CCRN Alumnus 2006 - current
• AACN Certification "CCRN" 1982 - 2006
• BCLS Instructor April 1988 - 1994
• ACLS 1988 - present
• ACLS Instructor 1988 - present
• PALS Certification 2001

Professional Organizations

• A.O.N.E. - American Organization of Nurse Executives
• F.O.N.E. - Florida Organization of Nurse Executives
• N.E.P.C. - Nurse Executives of Polk County
• F.H.A. - Florida Hospital Association
• A.A.C.N. - American Association of Critical Care Nurses
  National and Local Chapter (Heartland Chapter)
  Board of Directors, local chapter (1985 - 1991)
• A.H.A. - American Heart Association
  Board of Directors - Heartland Division (1981-1987)
• SIGMA THETA TAU - National Honorary Nursing Sorority

Publications

• Schreiber, M.J., Mutual Respect. Florida Advance for Nurses. Jan. 9, 2006. p 49.
• Patient Education Materials to include a) pre-op and post-op booklets for open-heart surgery patients, b) cardiac cath education booklets, and c) comprehensive patient/family education booklets i.e. "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Heart Disease but Were Afraid to Ask", and "Heart-to-Heart".
• Tape Library for Cardiovascular Nursing, Thirty-four audio-visual cassette films produced by the National Medical Audio-visual center (NMAC), at the Veterans Administration Center, Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 1978.
• Schreiber, M.J., and DeLoor, Ruth, "Hematology Chapter", in AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care, edited by S. Miller et al, W.B. Saunders and Co., 1985.
• Billie, D., and Przybylski, M.J. (Schreiber), "Increasing the Visibility of the Nurse in the Teaching of Patients", Cross Reference, a publication of the American Association of Hospitals (AHA), March-April, 1976.
• Schreiber, M.J., Coronary Care Education Program for Nurses: A Guide, published by the Alabama Heart Association, 1975.
• Schreiber, M.J., "Sex and the Cardiac Patient", a chapter in Concepts of Human Sexuality for Health Professionals, edited by Florence Schmitt, Appleton-Croft, New York, 1979.
• Schreiber, M.J., and DeLoor, Ruth, "Hematology Chapter", in Methods in Critical Care: The AACN Manual, edited by Sr. M. Soukup, W.B. Saunders Co., 1979.

Research Activities

• Coordinator - NDNQI Project (2002 -- present)
• Facilitator - Patient Services Research Council, Winter Haven Hospital - 2000 - Present
• Site Coordinator - Sentinel Node Mapping Study - 1999-Present
• Site Coordinator - OAT - Occluded Artery Trial - 2000
• Site Coordinator - AACN - Thunder Project II - 1998
• Member - Investigational Review Board - Winter Haven Hospital 1994 - Present
• Site Coordinator - ASIS-1 (American Study of Infarct Survival) 1995-1996
• Site Coordinator - AACN Thunder Project 1991 - 1992
• Coordinator - ISIS - 4 (International Study of Infarct Survival) 1991 - 1992
• Coordinator - ISIS - 3 (International Study of Infarct Survival) Winter Haven Hospital 1990-1991
• Chairman - Research Committee - Heartland Chapter AACN
• Chairman of the Nursing Journal Club and Research Committee - Winter Haven Hospital, 1988-1998
• Chairman - Nursing Research Committee - Atlanta V.A. 1978-79. Research projects completed by the committee in 1978-79 include "Pre-op teaching for the patient undergoing abdominal surgery" and "Patient Education - the use of Digoxin"
• Speaker at seminar entitled "Research - Essential for Planned Change in Nursing". Sponsored by Marquette University College of Nursing Association (W.N.A.) - 1976
• Speaker at seminar entitled "Nursing Research in Patient Care", sponsored by RMEC (Regional Medical Educational Center), St. Louis, MO. May 11-12, 1976
• Co-chairman of "Staff Satisfaction Study" completed at Milwaukee V.A. - 1977
• Co-chairman of the nursing research committee at the Milwaukee V.A. - 1976 - 77
• "The Effects of a Planned Formal Education Course on the Nursing Knowledge Critical to the Coronary Care Unit Setting". Birmingham, Alabama - 1973. (Graduate Thesis)