(New Brunswick, NJ) - Recognizing the need to address staff fatigue, anxiety and stress after caring for hundreds of patients during four waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) has dedicated a special respite and rejuvenation room to support its Nursing Team members. The room was made possible thanks to a generous donation from the Kaplan Family, as a tribute to the care they received in 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The dedicated space is much more than a break room for nurses. It features soothing colors, custom furniture designed specifically for relaxation, and a quiet environment that allows nursing staff to step away from the hospital and take a much-needed moment for themselves. Plans for the Respite Room resulted from the work of RWJUH’s Resilient Together multidisciplinary committee, which was charged with the task of assessing and addressing staff fatigue following the first wave of the pandemic.
“Our nursing team has shown remarkable perseverance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” explained Courtney Vose, DNP, MBA, RN, APRN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “We are grateful to offer our nursing staff this dedicated space that allows them to decompress when they need to in order to continue providing exceptional care to our patients.”
The Kaplan Family’s business, Kaplan Companies, including family members Michael and Helen Kaplan, Jason Kaplan, Amy Kaplan-Schafer and Lisa Kaplan, is one of the largest regional builders in New Jersey. The Kaplans became committed to supporting RWJUH’s Nursing Team after family patriarch and company owner Michael Kaplan became ill in 2020. Michael and his family were impressed with the outstanding nursing care he received at RWJUH. Not only did RWJUH nurses play a central role in his recovery, they offered comfort and support to his wife during a difficult time.
“We’re thrilled that Kaplan Companies can do our part to help these wonderful nurses who heal and care for others every day,” says Jason Kaplan, President of Kaplan Companies. “Our recognition of nurses shouldn’t end after the COVID-19 pandemic. We should support our nurses and doctors every day.”
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 600-bed academic medical center that serves as the principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
RWJUH has been named among the best places to work in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine and received the Equity Care of Award as Top Hospital for Healthcare Diversity and Inclusion from the American Hospital Association. RWJUH Brunswick has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Award for Nursing Excellence and “Most Wired” designation by Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine. The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers. For more Information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick