Q&A with Patient Care Services VP Nancy Kruger- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
Q&A with Patient Care Services VP Nancy Kruger- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
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July 17, 2000
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In This Issue:
The Sights and Sounds of Street Beat 2000
Q&A with Patient Care Services VP Nancy Kruger
Research Update
BWH Nurse Launched
Images of Street Beat 2000
Nancy Kruger, DNSc, RN, joined BWH as the vice president of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer in May. Prior to her BWH appointment and for the last 14 years, she held an equivalent position at Hershey Medical Center, an academic medical center with 504 beds located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. She has been a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives since 1983, president of the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Executives and a member of the National League for Nursing since 1987. Additionally, she has been a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses since 1975. Kruger recently answered questions about her new role and shared her vision for Patient Care Services—which includes Nursing, Nutrition, the Emergency Department, Pharmacy, Care Coordination, Chaplaincy, Patient and Family Relations, Patient Education, Oncology and Radiation Oncology. Q: What does it mean for BWH to have a vice president of Patient Care Services? A: Other Top 10 hospitals, including our sister hospital, MGH, have successfully centralized those departments that provide patient care and support under the umbrella of Patient Care Services. At BWH, a department of Patient Care Services reflects the institution’s commitment to providing quality care in a system that considers and tries to enhance the patient’s experience. By coordinating all the areas that provide patient and family support and education with the nursing department, we ensure that patients do not get lost in the system. Q: What are your goals for Patient Care Services as a whole? A: We need to be sure that our systems of care are patient friendly, paying particular attention to the transitions or “hand-offs” between departments. Smooth transitions are an important driver of patient satisfaction. We are all here to serve the patients, not in the sense of servitude, but by giving—of our scientific knowledge and analytic ability, our creativity, and our compassion. Q: What are your thoughts on how to meet the challenges that hospitals and caregivers face these days? A: Now more than ever, nurses and other patient care staff must make good use of the resources they have available. Each of us must collaborate with other providers, other support staff, and other departments to meet the needs of our patients. In addition, we must be creative as we look for ways to help our patients using the available resources. Challenges inevitably arise, and a “can-do” attitude is essential to meeting them. Q: What are your goals for the Nursing Department? A: In the short time I have been here, I have been extremely impressed with the enthusiasm of people at all levels, in all areas of the BWH system. Continuing what has already begun in Nursing and other departments, I hope to enhance collaborations by breaking barriers between departments and colleagues so that people can share information, experiences, and ideas. Q: Finally, how do you see the role of the nurse as a member of the patient care team? A: There are certain fundamental things that people need when they become sick. They need to feel that they are being cared for, and they need to feel safe. It is our job as nurses to figure out how to meet those basic needs for each of our patients during a time when they feel particularly vulnerable. Within that general model, I look at nurses as weavers of the tapestry of care. We integrate the medical plan, the nursing plan, and the patient’s expectations and requirements into a comprehensive care plan. By respecting the patient and family, being trustworthy and good listeners, teaching patients and families and engaging them in patient care, providing high-quality culturally competent care, and maintaining a sense of humor, we create an environment in which the patient can be helped. Harvard Hospitals and HMS Launch Clinical Research Institute Partners HealthCare, Harvard Medical School, and CareGroup have forged a comprehensive clinical research partnership—the Harvard Clinical Research Institute (HCRI)—to expand clinical trials across the Harvard medical community. HCRI aims to expand clinical trials in academic health centers, with the highest standard of scientific rigor and protection of patients’ interests. By offering central management for all aspects of research—from efficient and ethical study design to fast and simple patient accrual procedures to expert data analysis—HCRI has been designed to facilitate clinical research by faculty members in affiliated institutions and to provide better access to the faculty for research sponsors from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The Harvard medical community currently conducts more than $600 million in research each year, of which about $40 million represents industry-sponsored clinical trials. “This new partnership will enhance our ability to contribute to what promises to be a very exciting era in biomedical research,” said Samuel Thier, MD, Partners president and CEO and professor of medicine and health care policy at HMS. “The institute is also a model of how Harvard Medical School and its teaching hospitals can work together to support our key missions in a turbulent health care environment.” James B. Breitmeyer has been named chief executive officer of the new institute. He will manage the overall operations of the not-for-profit corporation and oversee the relationships among participating institutions. He will report to a board of directors composed of 12 members appointed equally by HMS, Partners, and CareGroup. Among the key participating institutions are HMS, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. But ultimately, HCRI is expected to be offered to all HMS-affiliated clinical institutions.
Welcome Nancy Kruger
Staff are invited to meet Nancy Kruger, DNSc, RN, BWH’s new vice president of Patient Care Services, during a reception on July 28 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. and August 2 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in Pod B of the Cafeteria. Send news tips and information to: Sarah M. Paul, editor 116 Huntington Ave., 5th floor phone: (617) 732-5008 fax: (617) 437-1924 e-mail: BWHBulletin@partners.org The deadline for the July 28 issue is Thursday, July 20, at 5 p.m. BWH Bulletin is published every Friday by Development and Public Affairs.