| One of the unique characteristics of nursing at NYHQ is nurse empowerment.
Our nurses contribute substantially to our organizational policies and are empowered to take ownership of their practices
by taking part in decision-making and governance.
Nursing Governance Structure
Our nursing governance structure is a decision-making and
communication model based on the belief that decisions made
closest to the point-of-care delivery will result in positive
patient, staff and system outcomes. Nursing staff are members
of nursing councils and committees, as well as hospital-wide
interdisciplinary committees. Nursing staff and team members
are empowered when they have the authority; responsibility
and accountability for making patient care decisions and
recommending changes in unit management. ( Learn
more... )
Nursing Research
New York Hospital Queens has an active Nursing Research Program that
many nurses have utilized in the past to present research they conduct throughout
the year. The structure of the program has undergone some changes recently
to make it more streamlined and ñuser friendlyî for all staff. Now, any staff member in any job category
can propose a study and submit a proposal to the Nursing Research Council. The Council reviews the proposal,
and if it can be approved, they guide the researcher through the research
process from project initiation to results presentation. Resources and mentors
are assigned as needed.
The Nursing Research Council was created to set the standards for nursing
research within the hospital. Council members are drawn from nursing administration,
education, and the Lang Center for Research.
There are many great nursing research projects underway. Some of the
exciting projects are investigating the relationship of language barriers to
patient falls, the effect of Reiki complementary therapy on patients in labor,
pressure ulcer knowledge, the impact of a bladder protocol on indwelling urinary
catheter use, and RN participation in shared governance committees.
Research in the development phase includes investigation into aspects of
hemodialysis, charge nurse competency and childbirth education.
From "Novice" to "Expert"
Our "Professional Practice Model" provides the theoretical framework and structure
for achieving positive patient and staff outcomes. Benner's Theoretical Model is the basis for the Department of Nursing
Education and Research in providing orientation and educational support to all levels of Registered Professional Nurses on our staff.
Several distinguishing programs illustrate our commitment to recruiting, educating and guiding the new nurse in
their journey from novice to expert:
The Nurse Preceptor Program (NPP) -
designed to assist the orientee's integration into the work setting
by providing a unit-based preceptor. The preceptor will function primarily
as a clinical role model and facilitate the orientee's social integration
to the unit. The Nurse Preceptor Program recognizes individual nurses
for their clinical expertise and promotes a supportive peer network.
Preceptor candidates are identified by the unit Nurse Manager and participate
in educational programs that are designed to assist the ñexpertî nurse in dealing positively and effectively with
the ñnoviceî. The preceptors participate in the evaluation process
of the orientee and provide feedback on the clinical orientation to
the Nurse Manager and Nurse Educator.
The Clinical Internship Program - proposes hiring new graduate nurses into vacant
critical care and emergency department RN positions. Because of the nature of the responsibilities in these areas, the Medical
Center has always required some level of medical-surgical or critical care experience. However, due to special circumstances,
NYHQ is now considering less experienced nurses for these areas. The Medical Center intends to provide these nurses with a
special and intensive internship program. This will include a 12-week precepted orientation on one of the medical-surgical
units to focus on perfecting such things as basic nursing assessment, and organization skills, critical thinking and
patient/family education. The new nurse will be expected to participate, complete and pass all aspects of the medical-surgical orientation.
At the end of a successful medical-surgical orientation, the new nurse will then begin an intensive critical care
or emergency department internship. The new nurses will be required to participate in all aspects of the Critical Care Program and be
expected to meet all usual requirements for those areas. He or she will be required to attend BCLS, ACLS and other unit-based competencies.
He or she will continue with an additional 12-16 week clinical internship in the critical care area in order to focus on perfecting critical
care skills and assessments, organizational skills, critical thinking and decision-making.
The Clinical Assistant Program -
This program provides the opportunity for a matriculated nursing student to provide (non-invasive) basic patient care activities under
the direction of a registered professional nurse. The Clinical Assistant is paired with a senior staff nurse and is able to assist in
completing a patient care assignment as well as observe the nursing process in a realistic setting. In addition, weekly educational
"Lunch and Learn" sessions provide the opportunity for the presentation of timely and interesting topics as well as a chance to network
with each other.
The ultimate goal is to provide a positive experience, which will result in the student choosing NYHQ for their postgraduate career.
Onsite BSN/MSN Programs -
Sixty Registered nurse participate in the onsite nursing degree programs. University classes are provided in the Medical Center;
the nursesÍ schedules are flexed and tuition reimbursement is provided to assist staff nurses in pursuing their degrees.
Transcultural Care in a Multi-cultural Community
The community served by New York Hospital Queens is one of the most densely populated in the New York area.
Recent studies show the immediate area surrounding the main campus (Flushing, New York) is home to people of more than 96 different
countries speaking over 59 different languages. The Nursing Staff of NYHQ has had to be innovative in providing care to the patients,
their families and the community that is culturally sensitive and yet able to illicit compliance with a plan of care that will lead to a
positive outcome.
Several examples of innovative programs employed by the Department of Patient Care Services:
Cultural Diversity in Nursing Lecture Series :
Programs presented by nurses of other cultures and ethnicities explaining the variations in care, illness and expectations of their communities.
Language Services :
The Patient Care Services Staff at NYHQ is a multicultural group reflecting the ethnic makeup of our community. All staff participate
in the hospital wide language bank and are able to translate when called upon to do so. In addition, all staff are familiar with the
utilization of the telephone language line.
Community Outreach :
The Nursing Staff participates in a wide range of community outreach programs and health fairs targeted at health information and
wellness preservation for the community.
Diversity in Nursing :
In recognition of the multicultural composition of our staff the Department of Patient Care Services published a cookbook for
National Nurses Week in 2003 incorporating recipes of many ethnic origins.
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