Welcome Nancy Kruger
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, she held an equivalent position at Hershey Medical Center, an academic medical center with 504 beds located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for 14 years. 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 spoke with BWH Nurse about 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—and the challenges nurses and other care providers face in the current health care environment.
Q: 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.
Q: What qualities make someone an outstanding nurse?
A: Technical expertise is assumed at a place like BWH, but it is not sufficient. As nurses, we must collaborate with other providers 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 the major challenges nurses face?
A: Nurses must be good users of the resources they have available. Again, creativity, collaboration and a positive attitude are indispensable.
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: 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.