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Pulse Check with Dr. Kimberly Long
Join nurse and healthcare leader Kimberly C. Long as she sits down with top nursing executives to uncover the defining moments that shaped their careers. In each 10-minute episode, guests share the challenges, breakthroughs, and insights that helped them grow as leaders. From inspiring team culture to improving patient care and navigating complex healthcare systems, Kimberly brings out practical lessons and actionable strategies that nursing leaders can apply every day. Whether you’re a seasoned CNO or an emerging leader, these conversations offer a front-row seat to the wisdom and experiences that drive success in nursing leadership.
Pulse Check with Dr. Kimberly Long
Cody Legler - Insights from a Nurse Leader’s Journey
In this episode of Pulse Check with Dr. Kimberly Long, Dr. Kimberly Long sits down with Cody Legler, Senior Vice President & System Chief Nursing Officer at Maimonides Health. Cody shares his journey from a hospital phlebotomist to a top nursing executive, highlighting pivotal career moments, leadership lessons, and strategies for navigating the challenges and occasional loneliness of nurse leadership. Tune in for actionable insights on mentorship, professional growth, and influencing the nursing profession at large.
00:00:00 – 00:00:15
Kimberly Long: I want to introduce our guest. This is Cody Legler and he is the Senior Vice President & System Chief Nursing Officer for Maimonides Health. Welcome.
00:00:15 – 00:00:18
Cody Legler: Thank you for having me. Good afternoon.
00:00:18 – 00:00:37
Kimberly Long: What I'm going to do is just talk to you a little bit about some of your experiences being a nurse leader. And the first thing that I'll ask you about is: tell us a little bit about your journey. How did you end up where you are? What are some of the experiences and challenges that you experienced along that path?
00:00:37 – 00:01:29
Cody Legler: Certainly. So I've been in formal nursing leadership for about 15 years—eight of those years in manager and director roles and seven-plus of those years in vice president or senior vice president roles. Prior to that, I actually started as a hospital phlebotomist for a number of years in college and then moved into RN roles upon completion of nursing school. From there, as I moved into my various leadership roles, I had the opportunity for many of those years to function as adjunct faculty in different universities’ MSN and DNP programs, and also to volunteer as a primary care nurse practitioner at CareBridge along the way. So it's been a wonderful journey thus far and there’s lots left to learn and do.
00:01:29 – 00:01:43
Kimberly Long: I love it. So as you look back on your career, what pivotal moment or moments had the most impact in designing the type of leader that you are and are becoming?
00:01:43 – 00:04:24
Cody Legler: I think there are a couple of moments, but two that really stand out. One: when I was working earlier on in my career as a home health nurse in the inner city of Milwaukee… [full transcript as provided]
00:04:24 – 00:04:48
Kimberly Long: I tell you, that is wonderful—very impactful. So let me ask you this: when we get into nurse leadership, it starts to get kind of lonely. How do you—or what kind of advice would you give—as far as strategies and connectedness to keep one grounded when they get into a leadership position?
00:04:48 – 00:05:41
Cody Legler: I certainly agree with you. It can get lonely, but over time… [full transcript as provided]
00:05:41 – 00:06:01
Kimberly Long: That's awesome. Wonderful. If you had to say, “If I had to give nurse leaders this one piece of advice,” what advice would you give them to help them progress in their career in a healthy and progressive way?
00:06:01 – 00:07:08
Cody Legler: Wow. There's a lot of advice that I could give… [full transcript as provided]
00:07:09 – 00:07:35
Kimberly Long: Oh, that's wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to spend with us today.
Cody Legler: You're welcome. That's it?
Kimberly Long: That's it. It's a quick mini-podcast!
Cody Legler: I like it. I like it.
Kimberly Long: Concise and to the point. It is a pleasure to see your face, to meet you, and have this conversation. Thank you so much—I appreciate it.
Cody Legler: Thank you both. Appreciate you.
