About nursing at Newton-Wellesley Hospital
The profession of nursing offers the profound privilege of being present during some of the most personal and transformative moments in our patients’ lives. At Newton-Wellesley Hospital, patient needs and safety are at the center of everything we do. Newton-Wellesley nurses deliver evidence-based, compassionate care and advance practice through innovation, inquiry, and lifelong learning. Empowered through a strong shared governance model, nurses have a meaningful voice in decisions that shape practice, improve outcomes, and strengthen the future of care.
Vision
Newton-Wellesley Hospital Nursing is known for our premier culture of health and caring through: exceptional nursing professional practice, exemplary nursing leadership and education, and an extraordinary patient/family experience.
Mission
Newton-Wellesley Hospital nurses provide compassionate patient- and family- centered care in an environment that reflects excellence in professional practice.
Honors
- PTAP: In 2024, the NWH Nurse Residency Program earned Accreditation with Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The12-month residency provides newly licensed nurses with mentorship, evidence-based education, and hands-on clinical skill development, and the opportunity to build lasting professional relationships—building confidence, advancing competence, and promoting excellence in patient care throughout the transition to professional practice.
- In 2025, NWH earned Advanced Stroke Certification and Health Care Equity Certification from The Joint Commission. These designations highlight a commitment from all members of the interdisciplinary team to providing patient-centered, compassionate care.
Leadership
Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Newton‑Wellesley Hospital
Sandy Muse, DNP, FNP‑BC, NEA‑BC, is the Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Newton‑Wellesley Hospital, where she serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. In this role, Sandy provides strategic and operational leadership for patient care services, with a strong focus on clinical excellence, workforce development, patient safety, and high-reliability healthcare delivery.
With more than 30 years of progressive leadership experience, Sandy has held numerous clinical and administrative leadership roles across the Mass General Brigham system. She began her career as a staff nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1996 and advanced her clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner in the Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care at MGH in 2005—a role she continues to hold today. Sandy maintains an active clinical practice as a Trauma Nurse Practitioner, working at MGH two days per month.
Building on her passion for critical care, Sandy transitioned into administrative leadership, overseeing both the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and later the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at MGH. Her leadership journey ultimately led her to her current role as Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Newton‑Wellesley Hospital.
Sandy is deeply committed to patient‑centered care and is passionate about mentoring, leadership development, and shaping career pathways to support the professional growth of others. Her doctoral work focused on Mentorship in Leadership, reflecting her longstanding dedication to developing future healthcare leaders.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS), and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Sandy is board-certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP‑BC) and as a Nurse Executive Advanced (NEA‑BC).
Awards and recognition
Newton-Wellesley Hospital is proud to join hospitals around the world in recognizing nurses who make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and families. The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day.
Nominations can be made by any staff member, patient or family who want to say thank you by sharing your story of how a nurse made a difference you will never forget!
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, Newton-Wellesley Hospital 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.
ICU staffing ratios
Starting with the first quarter of 2016, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) now requires all Massachusetts ICUs to report quarterly Registered Nurse-to-Patient ratios on their websites.
Nursing education and professional development
Newton-Wellesley Hospital is proud to offer newly licensed nurses a comprehensive 12-month residency program designed to support a successful transition into professional practice. Through supported experiential and innovative learning sessions, nurse residents build strong professional relationships while gaining confidence and competence in the delivery of patient care.
In 2024, the NWH Nurse Residency Program earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center Practice Transition Accreditation Program® (PTAP) designation of Accreditation with Distinction. This recognition reflects NWH Nursing’s commitment to providing an optimal learning environment that fosters connection, strengthens clinical competence, and advances excellence in nursing practice.
- RN-BSN
- BSN-MSN
The mission of the Shipley Medical Simulation Center (SMSC) is to improve the experience and quality of care our patients receive by providing evidence-based education and training for our staff. Located in the basement of the Ellison Building, the SMSC was founded in 2011 with the purpose of providing comprehensive education and training to Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s clinical staff.
The center is comprised of two patient rooms that are fully wired for audio and video for playback and live viewing of simulations. These rooms can simulate a standard medical-surgical room, a pediatric room, the ICU, or an operating room. The SMSC houses four high-fidelity computerized manikins which can be controlled by an instructor. The manikins can breathe, talk, and have pulses, heart tones, lung sounds, bowel sounds and more to create the most immersive experience possible. The SMSC has many task trainers for clinical staff to hone their skills, such as intubation and paracentesis trainers. In addition to the simulated rooms, the SMSC has two debriefing rooms, one of which has a small computer lab.