Daijiworld Media Network - dateline (MS)

Mumbai, Oct 17: Udupi’s Sheryl Jyothi Cornelio has been listed by Forbes India as one among the county’s ‘100 Great People Managers’.

Sheryl joined Dr L H Hiranandani hospital as deputy director, nursing department in June 2018. More than 250 nurses are managed by the 39-year-old Sheryl who has 13 years of experience. She contracted coronavirus on duty. However, she bounced back and was on duty within two weeks.

Sheryl is an MSc, MPhil in Nursing from Manipal College of Nursing. She hails from Udupi and belongs to Mount Rosary Parish, Santhekatte, Kallianpura. Her parents are Thomas and Emelia Cornelio. She is married to Alfred D’Souza from Pamboor. She is mother of two children Lyena and Liesel, and currently residing in Mumbai.

In the beginning of coronavirus pandemic, Sheryl had two fold responsibilities of increased workload and managing a team, whose members themselves were concerned about the disease. But Cornelio instilled confidence in them by leading from front. Sheryl says that the nurses looked like soldiers going for war with the PPE kit of Covid.

Cornelio takes care of her employees' safety by motivating them regularly through counselling and interactions. She visits the nurses in their accommodation so that they get confidence that there is someone who takes care of them. She also made sure that the members of her team, who contracted coronavirus were treated properly and she personally checked on their progress from time to time.

With the going of many nurses after the start of the pandemic, Cornelio had to work with skeletal staff. Many of the nurses even resigned not willing to continue to take care of Covid patients as they were scared that they too would contract the disease.

Cornelio is held in high esteem by her colleagues for her dedication. According to Captain Valsa Thomas, director of nursing in the hospital, Sheryl is an asset to the organization as she ensures that the patients get optimal care in the hospital. In addition, she also ensures regular developmental programmes for her team and keeps them upbeat.

On her part, Sheryl Cornelio says that her grit and character is moulded by her father. She says, "If today, I take care of my team members it is because of my father who has played a stellar part in me becoming a role model for others. He always insisted on taking care of the subordinates." Cornelio also says that she makes her team members get involved in finding solutions to issues, so that their bonding gets better.