Dear Colleagues,
During my first Nurse Recognition celebration as your chief nurse, I witnessed, shared in and was touched by the joy and pride of being a BWH nurse. This issue of BWH Nurse captures some of the sights of those celebrations and recognizes the many accomplishments of BWH nurses.
From celebrating with Karen Legere, BSN,RN, 2011 Essence of Nursing recipient, and honorees, Mary Cote, MS, RN, Diane Miller, MPA/H, BSN, RN; William Poirier, MSN, RN, and Karen Wallace, BSN, RN, and more than 500 BWH nurses at the annual Nurse Recognition dinner to welcoming Dr. Terry Fulmer as our Karsh Visiting Professor … From the ice cream socials to the breakfasts celebrating our nurse preceptors and all the 2011 Essence of Nursing nominees, nominators and their leaders. At BWH, we are privileged to be surrounded by so many talented, engaged and caring peers and colleagues.
As we go forward together, our work is to enhance and build on our reputation to let others know that BWH is the best nursing organization in the country. We must, however, not rest in advancing our practice. We have unprecedented opportunities and challenges to reshape systems for handoffs and readmissions; to create partnerships with physician and inter-professional colleagues so that care is affordable to all in ways that enhance health and wellness; and to ensure that nurses in all roles practice to the full extent of their licenses. We all must be creative leaders in reshaping the systems of care, to reduce and eliminate waste and to fully engage as equal partners to build on our strengths.
I ask that each one of you get involved on your units and in your areas to share your best thinking and most creative ideas regarding the Department of Nursing’s four pillars, or strategic goals: inclusiveness, developing the best people, ensuring care is affordable to all and advancing a culture of patient- and family-centered care. Commit to join with your colleagues on this journey so that next year at this time, we can celebrate BWH Department of Nursing ‘s contributions to equitable and affordable care for all.
Sincerely,
Jackie Somerville, PhD, RN
Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse