Look at a leader: Chanel Venable

Ask nurses on IU Health Ball’s adult surgical unit what keeps them here, and you’ll hear the same themes: a leader who listens, a team that steps up for each other, and a shared focus on compassionate care.

Chanel Venable, MSN, RN, clinical operations manager, sets that tone and protects it.

“I want people to feel heard,” she says. “If a team member brings me an idea or concern, I make sure to follow up. Even if I don’t have the answer right away, they know I’m working on it and that what they share matters.”

That approach has fostered a culture where teamwork comes naturally. Nurses, patient care assistants and support team members step in for each other, ensuring care remains seamless even during busy shifts.

“The team is very close-knit,” Venable says. “Everybody helps each other. It doesn’t matter if it’s your patient or not. If you see a need, you step in. That’s the kind of environment we want to nurture and grow.”

Her leadership style is rooted in her own experience at the bedside. Venable has spent her entire 37-year nursing career at IU Health Ball, including 25 years in leadership. She began on a medical-surgical unit—the same adult surgical unit she now manages—giving her a grounded perspective on the patients her team serves and the support nurses need to thrive.

She remembers what it felt like to be a new nurse and works to provide the support she once needed. That includes mentoring early-career nurses, guiding team members through challenges, and celebrating wins big and small.

Venable’s goal is for every team member to feel confident and supported in their roles. She believes that when nurses know their leader is behind them, they can focus fully on what matters most: caring for patients.

“Patients on our unit are in a sensitive stage of healing,” she says. “The team understands that and goes above and beyond to make patients and families feel safe, informed and cared for.”