Nursing
at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton
A Greeting From Our Nursing Leadership
Dear Nursing Colleagues:
One of the best parts of my job is hearing from our stakeholders – patients, community members, employees and physicians – about the quality of the nursing care at RWJUH Hamilton. The Magnet journey we have embarked on together will validate the incredible work of our nurses and identify opportunities for improvement in the nursing practice environment. This continued focus on nursing excellence and delivering high-quality patient care provides a safer environment and promotes better patient outcomes.
Our nursing staff should be proud of their many accomplishments over the past year. These include a reduction in our CLABSI and CAUTI rates, maintaining a zero ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rate, decreased surgical site infections, significant improvement in our communication with nurses’ scores, presentations at national conferences, participation in research and publishing articles in journals, to name a few. Bedside shift reports have also been hardwired, resulting in an improved patient experience in communication with nurses. Some of our units have had very active unit-based shared governance committees working on issues pertinent to their areas, such as supplies, staffing and workflow issues. In addition, we have local RN representation on the system-level professional practice committee working on nursing policies and practices that drive nursing excellence. We are excited that nurses are empowered to drive their practice. It is also important to note that while Magnet recognition is about nursing excellence and is nursing-led, the process to earn this designation engages everyone across our organization. As a community hospital, it shows that we really value each other, collaborate with each other and help each other in the practice of patient care. We know that when interdisciplinary teams collaborate well together, the finest quality patient care occurs. Thank you to all of our nurses, physicians, advance practice providers and support staff for your dedication to instilling a culture that supports exceptional nursing practices and strategies; promotes excellence, evidence-based practice and innovation; and establishes ways to achieve new heights of quality, efficiency and effectiveness.
Sincerely,
Lisa A. Breza, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President Patient Care Services