Structural empowerment promotes shared decision making, professional development, community outreach and recognition for nurses. Information and decision making is bi-directional and is founded in the Nursing Professional Governance model at Stamford Hospital.
Through Nursing Professional Governance, we've created an environment that supports nurses as they pursue advanced education and professional standing. Flexible scheduling, tuition reimbursement and a supportive leadership team have resulted in nurses enrolling in advanced degree programs at record rates. The investment in tuition reimbursement toward an advanced nursing degree is consistent with Stamford Health’s culture of supporting and valuing continuous learning.
Our Professional Development Program is designed to recognize the clinical nursing staff for advanced performance and leadership qualities. Objectives include the following:
- Promote excellence in practice to assure quality patient and family care
- Develop and recognize excellence in leadership
- Keep the expert nurse in direct patient care
- Encourage personal and professional development
- Facilitate career advancement
- Support retention and recruitment
Empirical Outcomes
Performance metrics are important factors our nurses consider in defining and driving quality of care. Stamford Hospital participates in the National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), established by the American Nurses Association. This database allows us to benchmark our quality outcomes against similar size hospitals and unit types. We track a multitude of nationally benchmarked quality indicators, some of which are listed below:
- Nursing staff skill mix
- Nursing hours per patient day
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infection rate (CAUTI)
- Central-line-associated blood stream infection rate (CLABSI)
- Fall rates
- Hospital acquired pressure ulcer rates
- Nurse turnover rate
- Pediatric peripheral IV infiltration rate
- Physical restraint prevalence
- Nurse satisfaction
Tracking these indicators allows us to understand how Stamford Hospital performs in comparison to other hospitals nationally. In each of these areas, we strive to outperform the national averages. Our professional governance structure, which empowers clinical nurses to implement evidence based practices, facilitates our excellent performance in each of these areas.
Professional Practice
Stamford Hospital is committed to exemplary professional practice while maintaining the patient and family at the center of our care
Through our nursing professional governance structure, clinical nurses are empowered to evaluate their professional practice and implement evidence based practice solutions. The partnership with the nurse manager/supervisor allows the clinical nurses to understand outcome opportunities and resources available to implement best practices. The clinical nurses use resources available to them, including our nursing research committee and resource center, to understand specialty practice standards and best practices. This also allows the clinical nurses the opportunity to identify gaps in nursing practice knowledge and fuels nursing research at Stamford Hospital.
Generating new knowledge through nursing research is a focus and commitment the nursing department has made. Through a generous grant, Stamford Hospital offers the Nursing Research Institute, founded in 2016. The institute supports and facilitates nursing research in a multitude of ways, including stipends for IRB approved nursing research projects and selection of nursing research interns.
The institute hosts an annual nursing research conference that is offered to Stamford Hospital nurses free of charge.
Our nursing staff is required to practice in accordance with the Connecticut Nurse Practice Act Chapter 378.
For more information about Nursing Opportunities at Stamford Hospital, contact Human Resources at 203.276.7590
Nursing. Excellence.
Stamford Hospital is among roughly 7 percent of hospitals nationwide to have been granted the prestigious Magnet status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. This reflects our dedication to superior patient care, safety, quality and patient satisfaction. We're proud of this honor. We're proud of our nurses. Thank you for playing an integral role in the Stamford Health healing experience.