NURSING AT ST. CLAIR Continued from Page 13
Career Development and Advancement at St. Clair St. Clair has a Professional Development Program to recognize nurses who advance their careers through education, collaboration and service. It is a voluntary program, conducted annually; approximately 30 nurses enter the program every year. “Any staff nurse can participate and we encourage them to do so,” Diane says. “It’s recognition that has to be earned, via a point system, and it’s hard work. Each participant completes rigorous objectives that are meant to enhance their skills and develop their practice, including a process improvement project and community service. Completing the program entitles the nurse to additional financial support for her or his education—these funds can be used for tuition, conference attendance or obtaining certification in a clinical specialty.” A nurse mentoring program gives newly hired nurses a solid foundation for their St. Clair career. “At St. Clair, we believe that nurses need mentors and we provide a highly effective mentoring program. Nursing is a great profession, but it’s also very demanding and newly hired nurses and new graduates need support in order to succeed. Mentoring helps them to acquire skills, gain confidence, learn hospital processes and become familiar with St. Clair’s standards of care. Mentors offer both practical and emotional support. At St. Clair, we are so convinced of the value of mentoring that we even have mentors for our new nurse managers.”
St. Clair Nursing Among the Best in Nation in Patient Satisfaction PERCENTILE RANK NATIONALLY
Friendliness/courtesy of the nurses . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Prompt response to calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Nurses’ attitude toward requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Attention to special/personal needs . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Nurses kept you informed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Making the Most of the Mayo Clinic Connection Nursing’s pursuit of excellence at St. Clair is energized by the Hospital’s relationship with Mayo Clinic. In the three years since St. Clair was invited to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network (MCCN), Diane has attended regular leadership symposiums with other chief nursing officers from MCCN member hospitals. She finds the meetings inspiring and validating. Interacting with her counterparts is, she says, an extraordinary opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from Mayo Clinic experts. “The MCCN CNO (Chief Nursing Officer) group is a wonderful resource,” she says. “I come back from every meeting with new, important information to share with my team.” Exposure to the opportunities afforded by the relationship with Mayo has invigorated St. Clair’s nursing staff. “When faced with a problem, we ask, ‘What is Mayo doing about this?’ We utilize Mayo resources for developing policies and clinical pathways, and have sent many of our nursing leaders to Mayo.”
A Calculated Mix of Science and Art Nursing is an expansive discipline that begins with science and encompasses technology, psychology, management and communication arts. Nurses must develop a broad range of sophisticated clinical skills, critical thinking and a deep understanding of disease processes, treatments and medical technology. Every day at St. Clair, nurses provide care, monitor patient status, interpret and communicate changes, keep patients safe, relieve pain and anxiety, educate patients and families, and collaborate with other disciplines. In addition, nurses offer genuine caring and compassion to their patients, providing comfort and respite from stress through authentic human connection. “Nurses are valued at St. Clair, and the Hospital makes every effort to support our nursing staff and help them sustain their professionalism,” says Diane. “Nurses who have job satisfaction provide excellent care, and it’s imperative to keep the best nurses at the bedside, closest to the patient. High tenure and low vacancy are a St. Clair nursing tradition that we are upholding through all the initiatives and programs that we offer. Our nurses work hard, with commitment and passion, to care for patients with the highest level of quality. That’s patient-centered care, and that’s our mission.”
Skill of the nurses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 SOURCE: PRESS GANEY
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Communication with nurses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Nurses treat with courtesy/respect . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Nurses listen carefully to you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Nurses explain in way you understand . . . . . . . . . 96 SOURCE: CMS
14 I HouseCall I Volume XI Issue 2
UP NEXT: The following pages spotlight St. Clair’s partnership with a local university’s School of Nursing to mutually advance nursing expertise, and four examples of the cadre of nurses at St. Clair who have helped propel the Hospital’s patient care to being among the nation’s best.