About nursing at Mass Eye and Ear
The Department of Nursing is a service-oriented department providing compassionate, safe and quality nursing care to our patients. Driven by the belief that quality nursing care arises from the clinical application of evidence-based care, we deliver care within a framework of compassion and respect for the dignity of the patient, family and/or significant other. Our ultimate goal is to restore the patient to the most optimal level of health comfort possible.
The Core values of the Nursing Department are:
Quality: Excel in the delivery of evidence-based nursing care, exceeds the customer’s expectations, continually improve, and evaluate our performance measures, and participate in and value research.
Commitment: Demonstrate responsiveness and dedication in all endeavors, take responsibility and accountability for performance and care provided, act in a caring and conscientious manner, and advocate patient safety.\
Collaboration: Work within a collaborative, respectful, and courteous environment. Promote teamwork and communication in a positive and effective manner.
Vision: Recognize and accept change, foresee technological growth, value innovation, promote nursing leadership, and forecast nursing staffing outlook in the future.
Leadership
Kathleen Charbonnier, MSN, RN, NE-BC, VP Patient Care Service & Chief Nursing Officer
Nursing practice and patient care
Shared governance decision-making structure
The MEE Nursing Department's shared governance structure consists of four councils that report to the Chief Nursing Council. Each council includes representation from nursing clinical areas, education, and informatics and as well as departmental representation as deemed necessary for decision making.
- Professional Development Council: purpose is to outline, implement, evaluate and maintain educational standards that promote professional growth, development and ongoing clinical competency for nursing staff.
- Nursing Standards and Practice Council: purpose is to ensure policies, guidelines and procedures are consistent with the philosophy of the Nursing Department, legal and ethical standards of the profession follow all regulatory requirements and are evidence based.
- Nursing Practice and Quality Council: purpose is of managing data collection for quality improvements on a scheduled basis. The council interprets the quality improvement findings and makes recommendations to improve nursing practice. The Nursing Practice and Quality Council monitors various committee improvements and provides support as needed. Additionally, the council identifies the need for new processes or systems to be monitored through the use of random audits of medical records, bystander audits of nursing practices and other mechanisms.
- Nursing Informatics Council (NIC): purpose is to facilitate the use of technology in clinical care. Some areas of influence and responsibility are the Electronic Health Record (EHR), Smart IV Pumps, Integrated Monitors and Health Care Provider Communication Systems. For the EHR specifically, members will work to evaluate and make suggestions to optimize its functionality, focusing on uniformity of documentation throughout the hospital, and taking into account department goals, objectives and improvement initiatives.
Awards and recognition
Commitment to quality and safety
Our Mass General Brigham goal is to lead the nation in providing the highest quality care For Every Patient. In alignment with this system goal, Mass Eye and Ear nurses are contributing to delivering the highest quality care by engaging in strategies that improve the patient’s experience, and nursing quality outcomes, while also reducing mortality and hospital acquired infections. Using a High Reliability framework, nursing strategies are transforming care that is equitable, team-oriented, data driven, and rigorously focused on mitigating risk and continually improving care delivery.