Title: Director of Nursing
Company: Fort Myers Rehab & Nursing Center
Location: Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Dr. Phyllis L. Russ, DNP, MSN, BSN, RN, Director of Nursing at Fort Myers Rehab & Nursing Center, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Health Care Providers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in nursing.
Dr. Russ recalls she felt passionate about caring for people from a young age, which ultimately led her to her chosen field of nursing. From watching her mother’s plight with diabetes, she often watched her mother go in and out of the hospital and always made herself available to assist and care for her mother. With this experience in mind, she became further intrigued by health care and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Colorado Technical University in 2016. Dr. Russ later attained a Master of Science in health care administration from Colorado Technical University in 2017 and a Doctor of Nursing Practice Health Care Systems Leadership from Chamberlain University in 2019.
Today, Dr. Russ excels as the director of nursing for the Fort Myers Rehab & Nursing Center, a role she commenced in 2013. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, she has had more than 200 patients with Covid coming in and going out while there were 150 nurses working under her. Successfully, they did not lose any lives. Specializing in geriatrics, Dr. Russ continues to oversee the nursing department with approximately 75 nurses and 120 beds. Looking ahead, her goals include teaching at the collegiate level while also serving in an administrative role.
Reflecting on her exceptional career, Dr. Russ considers her most notable achievement to be when her community of Charleston Park, Florida created a community center in her name, Phyllis Russ Community Center. She has served as an educator and volunteer at the community center since 2019, and also carries out a number of medical programs. Dr. Russ attributes her success to her mother for encouraging her to pursue higher education, along with her own love for learning and caring for others.
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