Memorial Hermann Believes Every Week Should Be Nurse Appreciation Week

Houston, TX (PRWEB) May 05, 2014

May 6 marks the beginning of National Nurses Week across the country. With a wide variety of celebrations and events, Memorial Hermann takes this opportunity to raise awareness of the important role nurses play in patient outcomes, safety, and overall well-being.

Nurses are ranked as the most trusted profession in the nation, according to a recent Gallup survey, which ranks professions on the public's perception of their honesty and ethics. Nurses have topped the list since 1999, with the exception of 2001 when firefighters claimed the honor for their prominent role in the 9/11 rescue efforts.

"The public's constant high regard for the nursing profession, combined with nurses' education, communication skills, and direct impact on individual patient safety and health, makes them critical components in the quality of care delivered by Memorial Hermann," said Charles "Chuck" D. Stokes, M.H.A., R.N., Memorial Hermann Health System chief operating officer.

Recently, Memorial Hermann was named among the top 100 hospitals by the international business research firm Truven Health Analytics. The Truven Health 100 Top Hospitals® study measures hospital performance across 10 areas: mortality; inpatient complications; patient safety; average patient stay; expenses; profitability; patient satisfaction; adherence to clinical standards of care; and post-discharge mortality and readmission rates for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia. The study has been annually conducted since 1993, and Memorial Hermann has been recognized with this honor five times.

"Memorial Hermann has received numerous national awards for quality care, and our nurses play a pivotal role in achieving that recognition," said Victoria King, M.H.A., M.S.N., Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center chief nursing officer. "They are at the bedside every single day: listening to, watching over, and coordinating care for our patients."

Approximately 7,850 registered nurses and 450 licensed vocational nurses work at Memorial Hermann, including 2,242 board certified nurses. Board certification of nurses involves a rigorous process of testing and peer evaluation that is designed and administered by specialists in the specific area of medicine.

"Pursuing excellence by obtaining board certification is just one example of how our nurses are dedicated to delivering the highest standards of care," said Tami Herschmann, M.S.N., C.N.O.R., director of surgical services and interim chief nursing officer at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital. "Nursing is the heart and soul of Memorial Hermann, and I am very proud of the work they do and proud to be a nurse in this organization."

In addition to the Truven Health Analytics honor, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) granted Magnet® recognition for excellence in nursing to Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center and Memorial Hermann The Woodlands. Only six percent of U.S. healthcare organizations achieve this honor. The ANCC also granted Pathways to Excellence designation to eight Memorial Hermann acute care hospitals and TIRR Memorial Hermann, one of the country's leading rehabilitation hospitals. Acute care hospitals with this designation include Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Memorial City, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital, and Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital.

Click here to see what it means to be a NURSE at Memorial Hermann.

About Memorial Hermann
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading edge technology, and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and more than 20,000 employees, serves to advance health in Southeast Texas and the Greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann's 12 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including the Texas Trauma Institute – a level I trauma center which houses the Life Flight® air ambulance – a hospital for children and a rehabilitation hospital, eight suburban hospitals, and a second rehabilitation hospital in Katy. The system also operates three Heart & Vascular Institutes, the Mischer Neuroscience Institute, three Ironman Sports Medicine Institute locations, cancer centers, imaging and surgery centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, outpatient laboratories, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. As an Accountable Care Organization, the system also offers employers health solutions and health benefit plans through its wholly owned Memorial Hermann Health Insurance Company.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/05/prweb11824684.htm