Fawn Purky, Director of Nursing, PHP and IOP Services, creates connections among Rogers’ nurses
06/27/24 12:30:pm
Compassion in action comes naturally for Fawn.
“I’ve always been a person who takes care of people, including my family, so nursing made sense for me,” says Fawn Purky, RN. “And of course, we all have family members with addiction and different mental health challenges. I really wanted to be involved in making change.”
In August, Fawn will celebrate six years with Rogers. She started as a part-time nurse at Rogers’ Nashville clinic while simultaneously opening and operating a CrossFit gym.
“A very close loved one in my life struggled with an eating disorder,” she explains. “A dietitian I knew at the clinic told me how they used exposure and response prevention therapy. I was really drawn to that.”
In addition to helping patients, Fawn found herself supporting other nurses and building relationships.
“Monica Robertson, also a nurse and now vice president of operations overseeing PHP/IOP in locations throughout the system, was my supervisor at the time,” she says. “We talked about the importance of standardizing nursing protocols. I was promoted to regional nurse manager, and then COVID hit. My focus became assisting with the conversion of all the sites to telehealth, which was kind of fun because I love a challenge.”
Prior to joining Rogers, Fawn was a clinical operations manager with a pain management specialist organization. In her current role, she’s a hands-on leader.
“I’ve gone to Atlanta and filled in when there was a need, and I’ve helped at the Nashville clinic, too,” she shares. “My management style is getting right in there. I like being part of a team that makes a difference every day in the quality of life of our patients. I also enjoy providing support to the nursing staff across multiple sites and encouraging them to further their careers.”
Fawn works with 80 nurses across 10 states.
“I take pride in being available and accountable to them,” she says. “They know they can reach out to me whenever, and if they have a need or a question, I will get back to them. I work to bridge the gap between all the sites, so the nurses don’t feel like they’re working in silos. They tell me they feel like we are one team. I love that we’ve worked together to create that culture.”
It’s a culture of shared responsibility and advocacy.
“The nurses at Rogers are very smart and in tune with what’s going on,” she says. “They want to grow, and they care about continuous improvement. They’re not afraid to speak up and bring their ideas or concerns to me. They know I work behind the scenes to get things done for them.”
Getting to know Fawn
Fawn and her 17-year-old son Landon live in Nashville with their one-year-old American Bully pup, Zeus.
Fawn is a fitness enthusiast and recently completed her first trail marathon covering 26.2 miles and is training toward an ultra-50 miler next.
A fun fact about Fawn is that while she owned a CrossFit gym for a couple of years, her favorite skill was walking handstands, which she could do across the length of the gym!
Fawn and Landon are heading to Dallas this July where he has a showcase for a singing competition. Best of luck, Landon!
