Staff Spotlight
Nursing plays a vital role in getting patients back to the best health possible. It’s because of the 1,200 nurses at Edward Hospital, that hundreds of patients, all with different needs, are able to have exceptional care. In this series, brought to you in partnership with Edward-Elmhurst Health, we introduce you to different staff members at Edward Hospital and spotlight their various departments.
The Importance of Nursing
Nursing is one of the largest and more important functions of a hospital, as nurses continually care for each patient often before, during, and after surgery and between doctors checking in. Meanwhile, they also communicate any changes or updates in the patient’s health state to his or her doctor and tend to family members waiting for their loved one to recover. Duties of a nurse include:
- Preparing patients for treatment and surgeries
- Assisting doctors during surgeries
- Checking vital bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels
- Providing psychological and physical support to family members and friends
- Administering medication and pre- and post- operation care
- Exanimating and authenticating vaccination records
“They have to be scientists. They have to understand the physiology of the body,” said Amy Rowe, Clinical Manager of Patient Care for the Cardiac ICU at Edward Hospital. “They are constantly assessing the patient, going through all of the labs, the imaging results, the CAT-SCANs, the MRIs.”
Magnet Status
Edward Hospital has been awarded Magnet® status, the highest honor a hospital can achieve for nursing care, numerous times and was the first hospital in all of Will and DuPage Counties to do so in 2005. The distinction recognizes hospitals in their achievement and innovation regarding patient care that goes beyond the norm of today’s standards. Magnet Hospitals tend to have higher patient satisfaction, lower readmission rates, and fewer complications.