National Nurses Week is an opportunity to recognize the many clinical, operational and leadership roles the more than 4.5 million registered and practical nurses play throughout the United States. Nurses are vital caregivers who contribute to the health care, health management and wellness of the patients and communities they serve. At Cleveland Clinic Florida, our nurses are essential to the interdisciplinary care we provide, promoting quality, safety and an exceptional patient experience.
Champions for Quality and Safety
Nurses are uniquely positioned to promote quality care and patient safety. In hospitals, nurses see patients holistically, from admission to recovery to discharge. They have an incredible voice when it comes to safety. Our nurses are empowered to speak up when they see anything that is a risk to patients or fellow caregivers, and encouraged to offer solutions and help implement them. This level of care and safety is evidenced by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Pathways to Excellence Designation Cleveland Clinic Florida nurses have earned.
Nurses are uniquely positioned to promote quality care and patient safety. In hospitals, nurses see patients holistically, from admission to recovery to discharge. They have an incredible voice when it comes to safety. Our nurses are empowered to speak up when they see anything that is a risk to patients or fellow caregivers, and encouraged to offer solutions and help implement them. This level of care and safety is evidenced by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Pathways to Excellence Designation Cleveland Clinic Florida nurses have earned.
Advancing Patient Care
The role nurses play in primary care is also expanding. The Florida Legislature this year voted to increase the scope of practice for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), granting them an ability to prescribe more medications. This is an important step forward as more nurses in Florida and around the country are becoming APRNs, adding to the number of certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse practitioners.
At Cleveland Clinic Florida, many of our APRNs work in outpatient settings. However, they also work side-by-side with anesthesiology colleagues and with other caregivers in highly complex inpatient areas, such as the Intensive Care Unit.
Nurses Leading the Way
Although all nurses continuously push for quality and safety improvements, when they are in leadership roles, they can help drive clinical excellence in the patient experience and streamline operations. For example, Cleveland Clinic Florida nurse leaders are now part of a “troika” of professionals at each center within our organization. A nurse leader collaborates with a physician leader and administrative leader to promote clinical outcomes and ensure the overall success of their center.
Cleveland Clinic Florida also relies on essential feedback from nurses when considering new technology or equipment for the organization. As primary users, nurses can tell when something looks “good on paper” but will not fit into the clinical workflow. This is true with building design as well. With our ongoing expansion in Broward and Palm Beach counties, we have front line nursing staff actively involved in design and development, sharing their understanding of workflow and what makes sense in terms of room layout.
Nurses play an integral role in all facets of health care delivery. When you step through the door at one of Cleveland Clinic Florida’s nine locations, you will appreciate, as we do, their contributions to quality, safety and an exceptional patient experience.
