In a conversation with Jacob Hutcherson, Jessica Swain opened up about the transition into her first true management position as System Director of Infection Prevention at Dartmouth Health. Moving into a leadership role is a significant step in any career, and for Jessica, this shift came with a steep learning curve, a range of challenges, and opportunities for growth.
Jessica explained that Dartmouth Health provided her with valuable resources to help develop her leadership skills through their “Leading at DH” program. This program, along with DISC personality type training, gave her the tools needed to better understand team dynamics and communication styles. However, despite these resources, the transition was still a major adjustment—especially given that the role was newly created, and expectations were not fully clear from the beginning.
One of the biggest challenges Jessica faced in this new role was trying to create alignment across multiple hospitals. With six or seven hospitals under her oversight, each with its own policies and procedures, bringing everyone together to reach consensus was no easy task. Infection Prevention is a complex field, and the guidance in place isn’t always black and white. This ambiguity meant that Jessica had to navigate differing opinions and work to unify practices across various facilities.
Despite these challenges, Jessica emphasized that over time, strong partnerships developed within the team, allowing them to move forward effectively. After two years in the role, she noted that the team had made significant progress, with a heightened sense of psychological safety, open communication, and resource sharing. The key to this success, according to Jessica, was the incredible work of her team members, who were instrumental in making the alignment process possible.
Reflecting on her leadership journey, Jessica is proud of what the team has accomplished together. Her experience highlights the challenges and rewards of stepping into a management role, particularly in a complex and critical field like Infection Prevention. Through collaboration, open communication, and leveraging available resources, Jessica and her team have made strides in ensuring consistency and excellence in Infection Prevention practices across Dartmouth Health.