Arnie Tressler never thought he’d be a nurse, let alone a nurse manager.

Tressler, who originally studied accounting, started at St. Clair Hospital as a patient escort in 2001 simply because it was a job. But it wasn’t long before his interactions with patients inspired him to get more serious about health care. Tressler enrolled in nursing school and has been advancing professionally since, starting first on a unit then joining the float pool, where he is assigned to different units that need staff.

“I’d always envisioned myself as a worker bee,” he says. “I never thought I would be in management. I liked taking care of patients. I liked working in the float pool. I wanted to learn as many different types of nursing as I could.”

When St. Clair Health started an initiative to encourage nurses to get their bachelor’s degrees, Tressler found himself pursuing another goal he’d previously never considered for himself. After graduating, he took a role as a patient placement manager, a position that gave him a completely new perspective.

“I was having meetings with not only the director of nursing but the CEO of the hospital,” he says. “I got to see their side of things, their stressors and how late they stay at work trying to make very difficult decisions.”

Another unexpected position presented itself when Tressler became the manager of a medical-surgical unit that has since grown from 19 staff members to 36. His experience has resulted in a leadership style rooted in transparency in an effort to bridge any gap between administration and the bedside. “I try to be a good advocate for both sides, helping each other understand their role and what they do in this hospital,” he says.

While not certain what new challenges he’ll chase, Tressler, who holds a master’s degree in education, relishes any chance to teach his fellow nurses, a passion that could fuel future goals.

“A lot of my nurses will come to me for procedure help,” he says. “I like showing them how to do those things. And my staff knows they can come to me without fear of ridicule if they don’t know something.”