Letter from CNO, SVP Mairead Hickey
Dear Colleagues:
We are in the midst of some very important and exciting work in the Department of Nursing. In May, we took a look together at the state of the department, and this issue of BWH Nurse outlines our accomplishments and defines the path forward.
Clinical nurses are the core of the Department of Nursing, because in your direct care of patients and families, you are doing the work which makes the mission of BWH come to life. In my ongoing meetings with you, you help me to better understand the challenges we face, the care we provide to patients and how we want to grow professionally. What’s most important is that, moving forward, our voices come together as we make decisions about nursing practice.
As just one example, clinical nurses talked with me most recently about how important teamwork is on their units. We talked especially about the wide age range of nurses working side by side and how to capitalize on what every member of these multigenerational teams has to offer. This is one element that ensures you practice in the safest environment.
When we examine the demographics of our department, we find more than half of our 2,900-plus nurses have been here for 10 years or less, and 24 percent have been here more than 25 years. We have a tremendous range of experience among our colleagues. We need to address both the needs of our more seasoned nurses and, at the same time, create an atmosphere where those nurses new to practice can learn and grow.
Over the course of this coming year, we will pay close attention to our work environment. We need to make sure that this environment is healthy for us and our patients. I’ll be talking with you more about the ways in which we’ll focus on several key elements necessary to develop and sustain a healthy workplace.
In a truly supportive and healthy work environment, each one of us feels respected, well regarded and knows that what is important to us matters to our colleagues and leaders. And we all have a role in shaping our environment, a role that will affect nursing practice for years to come. I am excited to do this work with you, and I am very proud to be a BWH nurse.
Sincerely,
Mairead Hickey, PhD, RN
Chief Nursing Officer and
Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services