Newsroom

Rebecca Flood, R.N., new senior vice president for nursing, looks forward to the challenges and excitement that come with her new role at New York Methodist Hospital.

New York Methodist Hospital Names New Senior Vice President of Nursing Rebecca Flood, R.N., was recently appointed new senior vice president for nursing at New York Methodist Hospital. Ms. Flood, who has been an employee at NYM for over a decade, welcomes her new position with open arms. I really enjoy change and find the upcoming challenges very exhilarating, she said. Ms. Flood began her career at the Hospital as a nurse in pre-surgical testing and most recently held the position of associate director for nursing. I worked with my predecessor, Maureen Lindie, for the past 14 years and I have such respect for the legacy that she has left at the Hospital, said Ms. Flood. She believes it is her background knowledge and understanding of the Hospital's goals that will help her to continue to take the quality of nursing care at NYM to the next level. Health care is continually changing and growing and I think it is important that the Department of Nursing advance along with it, she said.

Born in Greenville, Mississippi, Ms. Flood's desire to help others was what originally attracted her to nursing at a very early age. As soon as I was old enough to work, I was a unit clerk; later, I was a nurse's assistant and before all of that, I was a candy striper, she says with a laugh. I never questioned what I wanted to be when I grew up.

When she is not at the Hospital, one can most likely find Ms. Flood spending time at her home in Port Washington, Long Island, which she shares with her family. Although I love the fast pace of the Hospital, as soon as I get home, the structure is gone and I relax, spend time with my husband and children, play tennis or socialize with my neighbors, she said. Growing up in the south, we had guests over all the time the door was always open and visitors were more than welcome, said Ms. Flood. She continues with that tradition today, both at her home and in her office.

Although it has been many years since Rebecca Flood, R.N., first stepped on to the Hospital floor, the memory and feelings surrounding losing her first patient remain with her today. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of her, she said. While spending numerous months caring for the woman, Ms. Flood became a part of the patient's extended family. As a young nurse, I felt many of the emotions affecting her husband and children and that experience has helped me to be more empathetic towards patients today, she said. It is important for those in the health care profession to never become hardened by the difficulty surrounding these situations you have to have patience with patients, said Ms. Flood.

Whether she is being taught a life lesson from a Hospital patient or educating a new nurse, Ms. Flood's nursing career continues to gain strength as she takes on her new role at NYM.