Hospitals Need To Invest In Nurses
Nurses face a bit of a conundrum these days. On one hand they are the “face of the hospital” to most patients, the greatest contributor to a good or bad patient experience, and more often than not the primary factor that most patients consider when rating their hospital stay. They are among the most highly respected and admired of all professions across all industries and are essential to a patient’s care and dignity.
At the same time however, are the plaudits that nurses receive for a job well done actually serving to deter a greater understanding of the multi-dimensional space nurses increasingly occupy in 21st century healthcare?
Beyond providing exceptional bedside care and compassion, today’s nurses are championing quality of care improvements, spearheading research innovation, and playing a leadership role within a hospital when it comes to strategic planning, bioethics and advocating for important policy issues.
Given this expanding role of nursing, it is time to think anew regarding how hospitals can best leverage the skills, passion and compassion that nurses bring. Here are three ways to get started:
Invest in Nursing: Years ago it was not uncommon for many nurses to earn a licensed practical nurse degree, but today it is increasingly common for a nurse to have a bachelor’s, masters or doctorate degree. In addition, many of today’s nurses are choosing to specialize in geriatrics, intensive care, pediatrics, labor/delivery or other such fields. Hospitals need to support this movement with initiatives such as Huntington Hospital’s Institute for Nursing Excellence and Innovation, which includes a partnership with a university for an on-site Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, the funding of a doctoral-prepared nurse researcher, annual scholarships for nurses pursuing higher education, a nursing research fellowship, and many other such components. Investing in nursing pays big dividends in enhanced clinical outcomes, less costly stays and great patient satisfaction.
Think of Nurses as Leaders: The ability of nurses to balance the physical and emotional needs of patients with the complexities of running a hospital is unmatched. Accordingly, hospitals are wise to look to nurses as critical members of decision making committees, key management positions and their C-suite. Because nurses are on the frontlines of healthcare delivery, it is essential that nursing have a voice on issues that affect them and their patients, including staffing levels, patient satisfaction, patient safety, quality of care, affordability and access to care. It is a positive sign and a refreshing fact that over the last decade nurses have become increasingly vocal in advocating on important health policy issues that uphold standards of quality and support patient rights.
Use Technology and People Wisely: The complexities of healthcare and the advent of technology has actually complicated the nurse’s role and in many ways taken them away from the bedside. We need to do something about that. Providing the ability to do documentation at the bedside is a good start, and a wonderful example of how to leverage the benefits of technology in a smart way. Listening to Nurses suggestions on what we can do to help them spend more time with their patients will lead to improved job satisfaction and better patient care. By relying on the team – nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, social workers, dieticians and others – everyone benefits.
At the end of a long day, all nurses are striving for the same basic thing regardless of their degree, specialty or area of the hospital in which they work. They want to know that they did a good job and that they made a positive, meaningful difference in the lives of their patients. Isn’t that what we all want?
Gloria Sanchez-Rico is chief nursing executive at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena.
