Institute for Nursing: Providing Healthy Work Environments
Just as we expect our nurses to care for patients, we need to care for our nurses. Nursing is a strenuous and challenging career, not just physically but mentally and emotionally. As the RN workforce ages and we are faced with a nursing shortage, we need to look at ways to ease some of the physical, mental and emotional stress that the staff encounters in the course of a normal day.
We will continue to emphasize, through our words and our actions, the importance of balancing work and personal life. We must provide nurses with the flexibility to practice nursing for as long as they are willing and able. We value input from our nurses and will listen to the concerns and suggestions of our staff to create healthier work environments.
The North Shore-LIJ Institute for Nursing, in collaboration with the nursing staff of our 14 hospitals, will explore new technologies and new and better ways of providing care. As the health system renovates and builds new hospital units for optimum patient care, nurses will also provide valuable information about how facilities can be designed to improve ergonomics for healthcare professionals.