New VP of Nursing Plans for the Future
It’s hard to believe that ten months have passed since I came on board! My feet barely hit the ground before I was caught in a flurry of activity that shows no sign of slowing down!
Finding my way through-out the building was indeed an experience as I found myself arriving at my destination via secret staircases and short-cuts, never following the same path twice! But what an opportunity to learn!
And learn I did! You greeted me with friendliness and warmth as I’ve seen you do with your patients. It was no surprise to me that the patient satisfaction scores were off the charts. I felt that same degree of personal attention that I’ve come to know is the Hanover Hospital Way!
Of course, I also learned that often daughters, moms and grand-moms are employed here and the entire neighborhood has either been a patient here, knows a patient here, refers patients here, or frowns upon anyone seeking care anywhere other than here! What higher praise could a hospital possibly want?
My next step included framing a Vision for Nursing that would act as a guide for planning professional growth & development opportunities as well as recruitment, retention and communication strategies for the upcoming year. At our Nursing Retreat this March, several of the initiatives that would be evaluated and/or implemented in Fiscal Year 2008 were highlighted.
Development and communication initiatives such as C.E. Direct, Nursing Symposiums and this Nursing Newsletter have been implemented. Flexible staffing options such as Tiered Staffing I and II, the Internal Traveler and Weekend Option Programs began in June. Creation of an internal float pool is an additional program on the drawing board and one that is highly desirable in an environment with a fluctuating patient census.
Another major agenda item for Fiscal Year 2008 is the development of the Nursing Clinical Ladder. On the afternoon of our March retreat, attendees developed the first draft of the ladder addressing professional growth and development criteria, leadership behaviors, care delivery systems, collaborative practice, and quality improvement expectations at each level from novice to expert. This draft will become the starting point from which the detailed work of building our Clinical Ladder will begin this Fall. Look for information about joining the Clinical Ladder Development Team inside this newsletter on page 6.
So where do we go from here?
More than 100 nurses helped to answer this question when they recently participated in a series of internal and external focus groups held at the hospital. They provided extremely valuable insights into what matters most to them regarding nursing practice, lifestyle issues, recognition, practice models, and recruitment and retention. The themes that evolved will be presented to the entire nursing staff through a series of informal meetings in the Fall.
Knowing that creativity, dedication and teamwork are hallmarks of this nursing staff, I will be looking to you for strategic thinking and planning as we prioritize actions related to specific themes.
Time has a wonderful way of taking care of some of the little things, I am no longer getting lost and names and faces are matching. Each day I am here feels purposeful.
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