Professional nursing practice at Lourdes is guided by our mission, vision and values;
Philosophy of Nursing; the American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Clinical
Practice; and the ANA Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators. Our theoretical
framework is built on Benner’s stages of nursing
expertise.
The
Lourdes Nursing Leadership Team encourages shared decision-making. Nursing staff hold key leadership roles and potential leaders are mentored. The nursing leadership structure facilitates
staff engagement by utilizing the expertise of those who provide
patient care.
A registered professional nurse chairs each nursing committee and Registered Professional
Nurses represent each area where nurses work, as appropriate.
Nursing
committees include: Nursing Professional Practice Council, Nursing Quality Advisory,
Clinical Practice, Documentation, Patient Care Services
Policy and Procedure, Nursing
Education, Professional Nurse Recognition Program, Medication Management and Magnet. The achievements of these committees are outlined in
our
Nursing Annual Report.
The Unit Based Practice Councils provide staff nurses with a voice in the delivery of care. The Practice Councils are a forum
where nurses have the authority to make decisions that will influence care delivery at the unit level. Unit Based Practice
Councils are responsible and accountable for the decisions they make.
We encourage certification in a specialty and reimburse our nurses when they achieve
certification. All board certified nurses automatically are eligible to apply for
professional recognition at the proficient level.
Lourdes also
values Advanced Practice Nurses (APN). APN dinners are held quarterly
to
discuss pertinent topics that include the role of APNs at Lourdes, practice issues,
peer review and continuing education.
Lourdes has been fortunate in attracting talented, dedicated
and caring professional nurses at all levels of our organization. We strive to provide our nurses with opportunities
and incentives
to be creative, continue their education and innovate. Each nurse’s contribution is
valuable and plays an important role in achieving the high quality of care provided
by our organization.