Professional development is key to unlocking potential. Just like an engine, there is potential for this engine to start, how well it starts and performs depends on many facets. The same goes for the mind. Nursing and the medical field is a vast plain with wide access for growth. There are new bacteria and viruses forming every day that lead to this condition or that, i.e. Coronavirus. Teams of medical professionals including Nurses lead the discovery of new and exciting treatments, testing and solutions for things just like this. When I think of Professional development, this is what I think of. There is a growth potential for all that is leveraged through Education and Development.
Learning leads to Aspirations, Motivation, Excelling, Leading and Innovating. Memorial Hospital has a strong team of Nursing Professionals that do these things every day. During my tenure alone, I have witnessed so many nurse assistants learn new skills, get their LPN or get their RN degree. I have had LPN’s move into different roles including specialty unit nurses, care transition, management and get their RN degree. I have seen RN’s learn new skills for specialty areas which triggered a need for greater knowledge and they took courses and now hold National Certifications. We have Nurses with National Certifications in Oncology Nursing, Trauma Nursing & Emergency Nursing. Completing these Certifications are no simple feat. It takes a very long time to prepare and study, then it requires you going to a facility for testing where they have to complete a written and hands-on examination. It is very intense. I also have witnessed RN’s go back to school to earn higher degrees of BSN (Bachelor’s Science in Nursing), MSN (Master’s Science in Nursing), MSN NP (Master’s Science in Nursing - Nurse Practitioner Acute, Adult & Family), & MHA (Master’s Health Administration).
Memorial Hospital uses Evidence-Based Findings and Best Practices to define our policies and procedures. Our Nursing teams work on assessing processes and then determining a safer, more efficient way of doing things that all lead to better outcomes.
All of our Nurses are trained and maintain certificates for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Advanced Cardiac Life Support & Pediatric Advanced Life Support, all taught through the American Heart Association. Many of our Nurses have also completed a program for trauma, called Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum, a 2-day event that you have to prepare for in advance and know your material to pass. Our Nurses are also trained through St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital for pediatric emergencies. These collaborating hospitals visit our hospital a couple times of year and provide a specialty education session for our Nurses to keep our staff up to date on pediatric emergencies that we may not ever see in our area. The Nurses also receive education from our local flight crews, Air Evac & ARCH. Nurses are also learning something new daily working side-by-side with Outstanding Physicians & Providers in an open, learning environment.
Our Nurses and Nursing Staff throughout our Organization are smart, dedicated, hardworking partners in providing safe, quality care for our patients, each other and our community. This is our mission at Memorial Hospital. Professional development helps get us there and not only does it get us there, but we exceed National and State Benchmarks in many areas. We have many staff members who have advanced in their careers, professionally and in education that I would like to share some of them over the past few years!
Susan Diddlebock RN, BSN, MHA
Chief Nursing Officer
Memorial Hospital Chester