Drawn to a Career in Pediatrics: Meet Wayman Lee, Director of Patient Care Services at Shriners Children's Boston

National Nurses Week starts tomorrow and Shriners Children’s Boston is recognizing our chief nurse, Director of Patient Care Services Wayman Lee.

Shriners Children’s Boston Director of Patient Care Services Wayman Lee, MSN/MBA, RN, BSN, has been a nurse for almost two decades. He knew he wanted a career in healthcare, considering pharmacy and nursing as possible paths. During his first year at Northeastern University, Wayman took general education classes within a broad healthcare discipline. After completing two semesters, Wayman realized he was leaning toward nursing. “I still considered it a trial at that point. I wanted to see how the first semester as a nursing major went, knowing I could always pivot because some of the classes I was taking could be applied to other healthcare paths,” Wayman said.

It took just one semester, and Wayman was committed to his decision to become a nurse. “Once I completed some foundational nursing classes and got into the clinical hands-on experience at various hospitals, that’s when I really knew I made the right decision,” Wayman said.

Wayman had an interest in pediatrics and made that part of his Northeastern co-op experience. “I remember having a very clear plan in my head of what I wanted to do. I wanted to first work with adult patients, then pediatric patients, then spend some time in an emergency department,” he said. Wayman’s first co-op rotation was on an adult medical-surgical unit at Mass General Hospital (MGH). Wayman completed that co-op assignment, then found himself at Shriners Children’s Boston after hearing about a fellow nursing student’s positive experience there.

Wayman recalled the day he interviewed for the co-op position. “One of the nurses interviewing me was delayed, and I was waiting in a play area of the hospital. I remember watching patients running around, playing with each other like it was an ordinary day. You would never have guessed some of them had traumatic burn injuries. They were just all kids being kids, and I fell in love with the possibility of pediatrics right there,” Wayman said.

After completing his co-op at Shriners Children’s Boston, Wayman knew he wanted to continue caring for children with burn injuries and remained on a per diem basis while completing his third clinical rotation back at MGH in the emergency department. When a new graduate nursing opportunity opened on the inpatient unit at Shriners Children’s Boston, Wayman applied, was offered the position, and started right after graduation.

Over the years, Wayman has held several nursing roles. After working on the inpatient unit and in other roles at Shriners Children’s Boston for six years, Wayman left to get some management experience at a community hospital near his home. He returned to Shriners Children’s Boston a few years later, in a dual management role leading the outpatient clinic and the care management team. “To me, it was an opportunity to come back home,” Wayman said.

A typical day managing the two departments included rounding, as well as morning meetings with both teams. “These all helped set the tone for the day. We got a sense of how many patients were coming through the clinic, what volume looked like on the inpatient unit, and where additional support might be needed at certain points in the day,” he said.

In 2021, Wayman was appointed director of patient care services for Shriners Children’s Boston, a role commonly recognized as the chief nurse for an organization. “It felt like a full-circle moment when I was offered that position,” Wayman said. In this capacity, Wayman manages daily clinical operations, including the inpatient unit, pharmacy, clinic and post-anesthesia care unit. He is also a member of the hospital’s executive leadership team.

After 17 years with the organization, Wayman understands what it means when people describe Shriners Children’s as having a “special sauce” when it comes to patient care. “That’s a term I’ve heard so many times over the years at so many different levels within our organization. It really is true – there is a uniqueness to our healthcare system, not only as it relates to the care we provide, but also in terms of our ability to deliver on that full wrap-around care experience that is so impactful for our patients and families,” he said.

As Wayman reflects on his decision to become a nurse, he has advice to share for students pursuing that career path. “Look at all the opportunities that come your way and be open-minded. Nursing offers a wide range of possibilities. It doesn’t have to be bedside nursing; it can be in an outpatient setting, working as an operating room nurse, in a pharmacy department, or even in biotechnology. The opportunities are endless. That is what makes nursing such an intriguing career path,” he said.